Remember reading in history about the great California gold rush? The cry went out from Northern California that gold had been found at Sutter's Mill. People made their way to California from literally all around the world. They left their homes, family, friends, jobs, farms and more in hopes of striking it rich. Not only did people leave things, but they endured great hardships. Survival in California was extremely difficult. Diseases were rampant and medicine scarce. The climate was at times unbearable. And, because people were not familiar with the territory and thus ill-prepared for it, food was hard to come by. Furthermore, since all manner of men went in search for gold, criminals were plentiful and ready to take what little others had. Living conditions were so hard that of the estimated 100,000 people who followed the cry of "gold" 10,000 died the first year.

No one has to wonder why those 100,000 people went to California. They went to become rich. They heard how gold was plentiful in California and was their's for the taking. As they left what they had, they knew that the value of what they were expecting to find would be far greater than anything left behind. For many, just to find a little gold would be worth more than anything they had ever had.

Gold is a precious metal. First, it is valuable because it is rare. It is not easily found. People have to search for gold and this search is often expensive. Time must be devoted to searching for gold. The image of the old "Forty-niner" with his pack mule loaded down and his pan in hand comes to mind. He would follow the streams and creeks around Sutter's Mill swirlling the water and mud around in his pan. The idea being that the heavier gold would settle to the bottom of the pan while the lighter dirt and water would spill out of the pan. This 'panning for gold' would go on all day every day.

Gold is also valuable because many people desire to have it. Kings and queens down through the centuries have longed to obtain as much gold as possible. They decorate themselves with it, they decorate their homes with it, they become obsessed with having as much gold around them as possible. Anytime you find someone who wants something that bad, you can rest assured that they are willing to give whatever it takes to have it. In fact, this is the real bottom line to gold's value, people's desire to have it.

The value of a thing is determined by how much someone desires to have it. Just because something is not valuable to one man does not mean it is not priceless to another. For example, most of us have old photographs that are precious to us but not to anyone else. We have also heard someone say, "I knew this would mean a lot to you when I found it and wanted you to have it." They were in essence saying, "I knew this would not be as valuable to anyone like it would be to you." We even long for others to see the same value in something as we do and oftentimes they do not.

We can see a an illustration of God and His people in the example of gold and the "forty-niner." The cry of the preacher rings out that he knows how to help people find out how to get to God. This is like the cry that went out in 1849, "Thar's gold in them thar hills". But who will come. The Bible says that some from every nation will find the treasure. Revelation 5:9 says, "And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;".

The bounty promised is certainly not of this world. Many a child of God has died in the rags of poverty. However, there are those who realize that to find God, they must search for Him. In one way or the other, much, yea all is left behind. Paul wrote, in Philippians 3:8, "Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,". Paul had an insatiable desire for God. This desire is required in all those who wish to be partakers in Christ. Psalm 119:10 reads, "With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments." Also Proverbs 8:17 reads, "I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me." So what is the great reward that is worth leaving all to find? The reward that goes so far beyond all else in value that you presently have now? It is Jesus Christ the Lord Himself. To have Him is to have life everlasting! To have Him and to be His is the gold of Heaven.