More Valuable Than Gold
What does the prophet Isaiah really care about? What is he aiming for, ultimately? He wants to renew faith in the faithful God.
For example, while Isaiah and the prophets care about justice, good works, and doing what's right, ultimately what God says through them is that "the righteous shall live by faith." (Hab 2:4; cf. Rom 1:17, Gal 3:11, Heb 10:38) That is, it's not ultimately good works that make God happy. He is happy to see people trust in Him.
What to do with our fears? Him. What to do with our wounds? Him. What to do with our sin? Him. What to do with our joys? Him. He hopes that we will see in what He has written to us in Scripture and revealed to us in Christ, that He is trustworthy. God’s aim is that we will see that He is faithful, and that this will renew our faith in Him.
Faith is the main thing. Faith, trust, wait, believe, rely, rest, hope: it goes by many names but it's the same verb.
Listen to Peter in 1 Peter 1:6-7:
"In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith-- more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire-- may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ."
Faith is more valuable than gold. Faith is more valuable than having picked up Apple stock when it was .25$ a share. Faith is the thing that, if you really have it, you wouldn't trade it for anything.
That's why it's faith that God is trying to give us.
We pray for gold (or Apple stock) because we suspect that, if we had more of it, we'd be fine. Our fears would be quieted and our wounds might be salved. Our sin struggles would be uprooted by the power of the comforts money provides. And our joys would be shared with many because, of course, money will make us generous and kind. Ah! As the ancient proverb* says, "Whoever has lots of money, there's a rich person indeed." (*not a real proverb)
But it's not true. I'm not saying we don't need any money. But money is not the most valuable thing we have.
Money is good; faith is better. Because what do we have when the money's running out? What do we have when money's value is dropping? What do we have when we're faced with problems money can't solve?
We need God. So we need faith.
What is faith? I know how to define it biblically, but it's harder to describe it actually. Faith, for me, is a whole-person experience. I stew in my anxious-juices, my stomach is a knot, my mind a blur of anxiety or a desert of despair. Then, after a while, I make my complaint to the Lord (i.e. prayer). As my complaint becomes more honest, I bump up against the Bible's claims for God's faithfulness: "Supposedly You are the God who will take care of me?!" And as I remember the Word, the Word begins to work. My mind wrestles with the truth of Scripture, and the truth begins to win. My prayer shifts from accusing God to asking God to keep His Word. As my prayer becomes more humble, it becomes more hopeful. I entrust the situation to God; I make my request. The load I was carrying He shifts onto Himself. My mind has accepted His Word, my heart has opened up to hope, and my body relaxes and becomes aware in a fresh way of where I am and what's important now. (E.g. Gal 5:6b)
Faith is the connection we experience when God meets with us through the power of His Word and we meet with Him in honesty, humility, and hope. It's that experience, and the spirit of our life lived out of that experience. It's living with a sense that God is present and involved. And so I can rest.
We have faith because God is faithful to His Word. We can rest because God is working on our behalf. We can rely on Him because He has proven so reliable. We can trust Him because He is trustworthy and true.
Having this God with us and for us and working is part of the blessings Christ gives us when we receive Him. But knowing that we have these blessings, knowing that God is with us, for us, and working, even when we're scared, angry, tired, frustrated, resentful, overwhelmed, etc., is... priceless.
Having God in our lives is a gift from Christ. Knowing He's in our life is the gift of faith. That's why God is trying to give us faith, strengthen our faith, and renew our faith.
How is your faith? To what extent do you know who God is and what He is doing as you face what you’re facing today?
Renew my faith, O Lord. For You alone are faithful and good. You are the Holy One. You are always at work. You are always working good. The world is full of Your steadfast love. Your mercies are new every day; Your grace has no end. And You are with me—green pastures and dark valleys, sweet moments and tough battles—You are with me. This is true. Help me to know it. Thank you, Lord. Amen
Photo by Chris Liverani on Unsplash
