Ron Hutchcraft Ministries - Shiny Gold or Solid Gold - #8256

Thursday, April 23, 2009

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A friend of ours has been watching the price of gold going up and up, and she decided it was time to trade in some gold jewelry for cash. She had some elegant looking pieces, and then one that she described as “really pretty ugly.” But the jeweler saw something different. The beautiful pieces brought some modest cash. The “ugly” one was worth more than any other piece. It didn’t look all that great on the outside, but when the jeweler weighed it, he said it was solid gold all the way through.

I’m Ron Hutchcraft. Isn’t amazing how much that’s true of people, too? Think about the people who’ve been the greatest value to you in your life. Has it been the beautiful people or the people who were solid gold all the way through? God’s weighed in very clearly on His value system: “Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7 ).

Now, here’s what God says about what makes a woman a treasure: “A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies” (Proverbs 31:10 ). It’s strong character, not great looks that make a woman a precious gem. But we live in a culture that screams that your value depends on how “hot” you look. So we spend lots of time on how we dress, how we look, working out; often to the neglect of beautifying our soul.

Here’s the real measure of how “gold” you really are. Do people feel important after they’ve been with you? Do you leave a trail of tears or a trail of tenderness? Do you spend as much time with God as you do with your bod? Are you shiny gold, or are you solid gold?

There’s more spiritual encouragement for you if you’ll go to our website. And I encourage you to go there today. It’s ALifeThatMatters.org.

This radio program references: 1 Samuel 16:7 ; Proverbs 31:10