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Day 17: Gold, Silver, and Precious Stones In his letter to the Corinthians, Paul exhorts us to build our spiritual house with Jesus Christ as the foundation. The foundation can be made of various materials such as gold, silver, precious stones, or wood, hay, and straw. Depending on the materials we use, on the Day of Judgement, our works will endure the fire or burn in the fire. Gold, silver, and precious stones are all hidden underground. They are expensive, rare, usually found in small quantities, and purified by fire. For Christians, gold represents prayer, silver represents fasting, and precious stones represent sacrificial giving. In Malachi 3, God refers to His people as precious jewels. Giving is not simply giving some of what we own. Sacrificial giving is giving ourselves and giving our heart since that is where our treasure is. When our life and ministry are built with these precious materials, they will endure and please the Lord. The spiritual disciplines of prayer, fasting, and giving are like the building materials found underground: costly. We should not offer the Lord our leftovers and that which can easily be given. However, if we build with wood, hay, and straw, our works will be burned in the fire, and we will suffer loss, even if we are saved in the end. Wood, hay, and straw are easily found on the ground. They come in large quantities because they are common and cheap, but they can be destroyed by fire. This speaks of a life that is built on pride, carnality, and secret sin. The materials represent prayerlessness, busyness, and compromise. We are not called to be busy but to be fruitful. It is time to stop offering to the Lord that which costs us nothing. As you are fasting, it may be difficult, but take courage because you are building your foundation with a costly material. Let's Pray: Thank You, Lord, for the promise of eternal life. I am grateful that I have eternal rewards awaiting me. I pray that You help me build a strong and fireproof foundation. I want to put You before everything else in my life and be a living sacrifice to You. Develop in me a greater love for Your Word, for prayer, fasting, and giving graciously.