Extract the Valuable

Take away the dross from the silver, 

and the smith has material for a vessel…

(Proverbs 25:4, ESV).

As I read verses 4 and 5 of the 25th chapter of Proverbs, I recalled fun times when James and I panned for gems while on vacation in various states. After purchasing a 5-gallon bucket of “seeded” dirt from the owner of the gem mining tourist attraction, we'd sit on a bench beside a wooden trough filled with running water, into which each of us dipped a wooden box with a mesh bottom. Using that open-top box like a sifter, we’d dump a big scoop of dirt and gems into it. Carefully, we'd let the water rinse away the dirt that clung to the precious stones so that we could see if anything of value remained in the mesh container. We, along with other tourists seated on the long bench, exclaimed with delight when we'd see a tiny sliver or a small chunk (none were larger than half of a pecan) of emerald or garnet or quartz or ….

After we'd emptied our bucket, we'd head toward the office/gift shop, each of us carrying a small plastic container that held our collection of gems and minerals. There we'd learn the names of our stones and the value of our collection.

Although we weren’t removing dross from silver, as mentioned in Proverbs 25:4, we had been removing dirt and debris to reveal the gems and minerals. Likewise, in all of life, we must extract the precious from the worthless. Though the extraction process can be difficult and sometimes painful, we must be willing to let go of everything that isn’t good for us--and everything that doesn’t honor God.

Better Than Gold

Several years ago, my husband and I visited the site of what had once been an amethyst mining operation. The price of admission included the privilege of searching for left-behind pieces of amethysts that still littered a rocky half-acre or more of land adjacent to the visitor’s center where we purchased tickets.

With great excitement, we set right to work. At first, we walked around looking for pieces lying on the ground. Then we resorted to digging in places that seemed promising. By the time we grew too weary to continue the back-breaking “mining,” we’d placed several various-sized pieces of purple stones in our buckets.

We were thrilled with our semi-precious stones, as we’d been pleased with the flecks of gold we’d panned for while on a trip to Alaska in 1996. (I opted to let an employee there place my gold in a pair of small, oval-shaped earrings.) 

But the “mining” we’d done wasn’t the real kind done by true miners! Their work is infinitely harder because they have to go far deeper (and more often!) into the earth to find the sought-after riches.

As I thought about these two “mining” experiences, I realized that studying the Bible is much like mining. Even a casual reading of God’s Word yields precious gems of truth. But if we’ll dig deeper and deeper (and dig often!) into His Word, the treasures (such as wisdom, knowledge, understanding, vision, perspective, faith, trust, and …) will increase exponentially.

Cry out for insight and understanding. 

Search for them as you would for lost money or hidden treasure. Then you will understand what it means to fear the LORD, 

and you will gain knowledge of God. 

For the LORD grants wisdom! 

From his mouth come knowledge and understanding. 

He grants a treasure of good sense to the godly.

Proverbs 2:3-7a, New Living Translation

Happy is the person who finds wisdom and gains understanding. For the profit of wisdom is better than silver, 

and her wages are better than gold. 

Wisdom is more precious than rubies; 

nothing you desire can compare with her. 

She offers you life in her right hand, 

and riches and honor in her left. 

She will guide you down delightful paths; 

all her ways are satisfying.

Proverbs 3:13-17, New Living Translation