Many of you know that I am a history buff, and even volunteered at some at Yorktown and Jamestown in Virginia. There are many stories about those two important places in America History, that I enjoy - but none more than the following:
During the spring of 1608 the settlers at Jamestown, Virginia discovered gold (this was less than a year after they decided on building a colony there on the shores of the James River). They almost totally abandoned all efforts at planting crops, constructing buildings, and readying themselves for winter. They had found gold and devoted themselves almost entirely to steadily digging out and washing the precious metal.
The colonists probably would not even have survived the summer and fall if the Powhatan Indians had not fed them. However, they were able to send a ship back to England with a heavy load of the metal for which they had labored all spring. Unfortunately their gold turned out to be iron pyrite, also called "fools' gold." They had given a huge amount of their time, their talent, and all their energies to "fool's gold."
The colonists could say the name "fools' gold" had special meaning for them. For not only had they been deceived by the worthless look-alike mineral, but they had foolishly abandoned everything they needed for life in a quest that would have made no sense even if their discovery had indeed been real gold. If it had not been for others, they would have died chasing material riches.
Does those sound like a parable about the way many of us spend our lives? Stocking up fool's gold and ignoring the really important matters in life like building a closer relationship with God?
He has raised up a horn for his people, praise for all his faithful, for the people of Israel who are close to him. Praise the LORD! (Psalms 148:14)
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