Supply and Demand
The California Gold Rush began in January 1848, when news spread of the discovery of gold in a town called Coloma, just east of Sacramento. About 300,000 people left their homes in other parts of the country with dreams of wealth filling their heads. Several people achieved the wealth they sought, but most left everything and earned very little for their effort.
What is it that makes gold so valuable anyway? Why such high demand? Since the time of ancient civilizations, people have prized gold not only for its beauty but also for its usefulness. Gold doesn’t rust. It’s easily malleable so a goldsmith can shape it into anything, including jewelry, coins, blocks, or even thread. It can conduct heat and electricity and is nearly indestructible, which is why nations have used it as currency for millennia.
For all these reasons, gold is very desirable. Because it’s difficult to mine and there’s not much of it in the world, it’s always been highly valuable. The World Gold Council estimates that miners have already extracted about 202,000 tons of gold, leaving only 53,000 tons of gold left to be mined. It comes down to the economic principle of supply and demand. There’s limited supply of gold and high demand, which drives the price up. We’d all like to own gold, but few of us can afford it.
As valuable as gold is, there’s something even more valuable, and we can have it for free! Jesus said in John 7:37-38: “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. 38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’” He said in Revelation 22:17: The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost.
Jesus was using water as a metaphor for eternal life. The principle of supply and demand dictates that something so valuable as eternal life should be extremely expensive. And it was to God and to Jesus. God had to punish His own Son for our sins in the most excruciating manner humans have ever devised. Jesus had to submit to death at the hands of those He came to save. The cost was infinite for God, but not for us. Jesus offers us this gift without cost. All we need to do is believe that Jesus died for our sins and rose from the dead, and Jesus gives us the most precious commodity in the universe.
Sadly, though there’s infinite supply, there’s limited demand. People put their faith in gold more easily than Jesus. They seek things like money, sex, and power that can never satisfy, and they neglect the greatest gift which they can have for the asking.
You’ve seen people walking the beach with hand-held metal detectors in search of treasure. The best they can hope for is a gold ring or watch that might be worth a few hundred dollars or more. They do it because people frequently lose jewelry on the beach. The gift that Jesus offers is one we can never lose, because it’s not up to us to keep it safe. God keeps it safe for us.
Lack of supply dashed the dreams of the 49ers, as the California Gold Rushers were called. They couldn’t mine enough gold to change their lives. They invested everything in a dream. Those who invest their faith and their lives in Jesus never have to worry about whether that investment will pay off, and the reward is greater than any pot of gold. Jesus promised a place in heaven for all who trust in Him. We don’t have to travel across the country in a covered wagon, braving the elements, and people who might kill us to steal our gold. There’s enough of Jesus for all to have Him.
Gold is good, but Jesus is best. There’s ample supply. Let’s pray for demand.