“Thus says the Lord, ‘Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; ²⁴ but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,’ declares the Lord.” Jeremiah 9:23,24

During its 250-year history, America has been blessed with great riches: gifted people, accomplished dreamers, abundant opportunities, natural resources, especially GOLD! The discovery of gold continues to be a mixture of dross (evil) and 24K gold (refined gold). Wealth can bring out the best and worst in mankind. America’s past and current “gold-rush” history reveals this to be “most certainly true.” History.com offers the following synopsis:

On January 24, 1848, James Wilson Marshall, a carpenter originally from New Jersey, found flakes of gold in the American River at the base of the Sierra Nevada Mountains near Coloma, California.

 At the time, Marshall was working to build a water-powered sawmill owned by John Sutter, a German-born Swiss citizen and founder of a colony which would later become the city of Sacramento. As Marshall later recalled of his historic discovery: “It made my heart thump, for I was certain it was gold.”

 Days after Marshall’s discovery at Sutter’s Mill, a Treaty was signed ending the Mexican-American War, leaving California in the hands of the United States. This was a remarkable twist of fate with important ramifications for an America eager for westward expansion. At the time, the population of the territory consisted of 6,500 Californios (people of Spanish or Mexican descent); 700 foreigners (primarily Americans); and 150,000 Native Americans (barely half the number that had been there when Spanish settlers arrived in 1769. Most of them were used as slaves).

To this day, in our nation’s history, we have seen the blessing and the curse of riches. The left-hand kingdom of the State needs the refining council of the Right-hand Kingdom of the Church. Teaching and applying the principles of God’s Word, provides individual, corporate, and national fiscal wisdom. With indebtedness at an all-time high and affordability being the catch-word of the day, God has positioned His church to be in prime place of influence.