How has the gold become dim

Sunday service, Detlef Stegen, 18 Mar 2018

Lam 4:1, 7

1 How is the gold become dim! how is the most fine gold changed!
7 Her holy ones were cleaner than snow, they were whiter than milk, their bodies were redder than corals, their form was as the sapphire:

There’s a legend of a king and queen living in a certain land. They had one daughter, the princess. The king and queen lived such upright lives that they influenced the whole Castle. And their child, the princess, became a beautiful young lady with a beautiful character. She didn’t want to harm her parents but only desired to do them good. She was a humble girl and she was a blessing throughout the palace.

When this Kingdom was influenced and changed in such a marvelous way, one day the head of the dwarfs came down from his den in the mountains to have a look at this King and his people. When he saw the love of the people to one another he was greatly enraged and swore that he was going to harm them. He went back to his dark cave and consulted with his subjects what they could do to harm the Kingdom.

There’s one being, satan, who is hard at work to destroy what Jesus had done in your life. What does he do? He comes with his sin to entice you.

Father and grandfather, if you want your children and grandchildren to be of a noble character, then you must set the example that they desire to be like you. If you have ill feelings towards your sons- or daughters in law, don’t you think they will feel the same towards you? They can feel it and it influences them.

We read in verse 7, “Her holy ones were cleaner than snow, they were whiter than milk, their bodies were redder than corals, their form was as the sapphire”.

And in Ps 144:12, “Our sons are like tall young plants; and our daughters like the shining stones of a king’s house”.

A satanist who got converted here at KwaSizabantu shared how they as satanists would strategize how to destroy churches. He said that they had a file on each church with a summary on the state of that church. If the pastor of a church would condone sin in his own life then they would put that file away that they don’t have to worry about that church since they won’t be a threat any time soon.

But he said that against confession of sin and restitution they had no answer. When Christians cleansed their lives and made restitution to those wronged they couldn’t destroy that church.

Do you remember when you found the Pearl of great price, life with Jesus, salvation and transformation, how you were prepared to forsake all, to endure suffering and persecution? But what is it like today? Has the gold become dim? Has the Pearl of great price lost its value? Is the life with Jesus no longer precious to you? When the going gets tough, do your knees give way and you lose sight of your goal or do you refocus doubly on your goal? Do you remember how you loved those in right standing with God? But what is it like today? Do you hide yourself from them?

We read in Heb 10:38, “my righteous one will live by faith, but if he shrinks back my soul shall have no pleasure in him”.

In the past you depended on God and waited for His salvation, do you still do today? Pride can also take your eyes off the goal and cause the gold to become dim. Your spiritual famine is not because of others. Don’t accuse others. If that gold is still glittering and of priceless value to you, won’t you have the power to keep your mouth closed? Or has your gold changed into fools gold, and no one is attracted to your Jesus?

One test for gold is that when it is scratched with a rough object, particles of gold will remain behind on the object you used to scratch the gold, whereas it doesn’t happen with other metals that look like gold. When someone roughs you up the wrong way, how do you react? Does that person meet with the character of Jesus that remains with him and touches him?

 

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