Last updated on August 28, 2023
“In this, you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ…”
1 Peter 1:6-7
The yellow brick road in The Wizard of Oz symbolized gold. It carved its way through a beautiful fairyland called Oz, inhabited by Munchkins, but evil witches overshadowed the fabled land. Perhaps today, these “charmers” would represent the self-serving money-changers, the greedy capitalists, and the Washington bureaucrats who recklessly spend our money but are mortgaging our children’s future.
But even in “good” fairy tales, there is a redeemer. That’s the way God wired us. The Good Witch of the North, Glenda, loved the Munchkins.
“The mysterious wizard might be able to help you to return home,” Glenda and the Munchkins told Dorothy.
So, Dorothy set off on the yellow brick road to meet the wizard of Emerald City. Along the way, she greets three friends who join her as sojourners in search of a brain, a heart, and a nerve.
But when they meet the wizard, Dorothy discovers a disappointing truth. The wizard is an imposter. The dog Toto exposed him as a fraud.
As in The Return to Oz, anything counterfeit is doomed to fail. Our yellow brick road, paved in fiat money, is crumbling as financial establishments teeter on the brink of collapse. Here is an interesting story that recently crossed my path.
A man tried to sell a one-ounce Maple Leaf on a beach in a prominent section of town. “Will you buy this gold coin for $50?”
“No, I don’t have any money.”
He approached a woman, “Would you like this Canadian coin for only $25?
“No.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t have $25.”
“Suppose I offer this to you for free. Will you take it?”
The woman turned it over and examined it. “It’s beautiful.”
“Do you want it?”
“No.”
Deception marks the last days. Many today don’t worship God because they worship idols. I.e., sports enthusiasts go to sports events to numb their pain. Hollywood fans idolize Hollywood stars wondering what it would be like to be rich and famous. Many have been deceived into thinking this will make them happy.
In the above example, people on the beach didn’t want the real thing, gold, because they only knew the counterfeit, paper-green money.
A look at history might reveal a clue about this stunning revelation. Gold, a precious metal, has been used by man since ancient times for commerce. Long ago, he recognized it for what it was—rare and valuable; but today, passersby can’t even identify gold on a beach.
During the Great Depression, governments around the world abandoned the gold standard. In 1933, Congress and President Roosevelt banned private ownership of gold and asked citizens to turn in their gold at $35 per troy ounce, essentially robbing Americans of their wealth.
Although it became legal to own it again in the 1970s, the money changers (Federal Reserve Bank and central banks) suppressed its value to bolster the dollar and manipulated the system to their advantage.
Gold became worth less than counterfeit because it was not considered a currency, thus enabling the Federal Reserve and the central banks to control the vast money supply.
While The Wizard of Oz is only a story, it is symbolic. Evil witches won’t inhabit Heaven, but angelic creatures will as they serve our risen King. Jesus, unlike a cowardly wizard, won’t be hiding behind a curtain. Instead, He’ll be dressed in kingly garb, and His eternal radiance will be brighter than even the most exquisite gold.
In Heaven, we won’t walk on broken counterfeit roads. Our eyes will behold the intrinsic worth of God’s creation. We will value what God values that is found in God’s most cherished design—those for whom He died. Souls offering worldly counterfeits won’t be there. And all those who substituted counterfeits for God won’t be there either.
It will take more than ruby slippers to bring us home. Deeper magic, more costly than gold, hewn from wood and prickly thorns, will transport us in a rapturous adventure to a land more beautiful than Oz.
When we leave this world of brokenness, Jesus will welcome us on a magnificent road paved in gold. And as beautiful as I imagine it will be, it will be worth nothing in comparison to God’s redeeming love.
Remember, all the gold on the planet can’t buy our way into Heaven.
Prayer: Dear Jesus, help us not to love the counterfeits of this world that are here today and gone tomorrow. May our faith be more precious than gold when tested by fire. May we bring praise, honor, and glory to your precious name. Amen.
Comments are closed.