Job 23:10 "For He knoweth the way that I take: When He hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold."
It's hard not to imagine ourselves as gold - shiny and expensive. It's what we truly desire, for the most part. But I think that there is far more that we could be looking forward to, if we embrace the fullest meaning of this word. To be as gold, malleable and precious and rare, is the greater treasure. There is such a difference between being expensive and being precious. Gold is both expensive, and precious. It is a thing that is difficult to attain, yet until it is crafted by a master's hands, it is nothing but a rock.
If we allow ourselves to be tried, to go through rather than avoid, the trials of life, then we come out as a work of art. The beauty of gold is that it can be reshaped, repurposed, over and over again. God is the ultimate recycler. He never throws away a broken soul. No matter what you go through, you can be used by God to bring glory and honor to His name. More treasured is the vessel fit for daily use than the one so fragile that it must only be brought out for special occasions.
