Sift

I’ve recently been reading about the Klondike Gold Rush that took place in Canada’s wild Yukon Territory between 1896 and 1899. As soon as I saw an old magazine cover of a prospector knee-deep in a river, gold pan in hand, I thought, “That would make a great setting for a book.” 

But it also made a great backdrop for a youth series.  So, at our youth church here in the States, we launched a new series called SIFT

inspired by the rugged gold seekers. 

Just like the hopefuls who journeyed into the wild hoping to strike it rich had to get in the river, sift through grit, gravel, and sand, and patiently look for real gold, we also live in a world where we must sift through distractions, noise, and lies to find what truly matters.

 We’re living in a culture flooded with confusion:

“If it feels good, do it.”

“Truth is relative.”

“God’s mad at you and just waiting for you to mess up.”  

“You can ride the fence between living for yourself

and living for God—it’s fine.” 

But here’s the good news:

God’s Word is truth.  It’s a lamp to our feet and a light to our path (Psalm 119:105).  His character doesn’t shift with the trends. He’s the same yesterday, today, and forever.  

And as we sift, God invites us to uncover what’s real. 

In the Yukon, not everyone who set out found gold. Out of 100,000 who headed north, only about 35,000 made it to the gold grounds—and of those, only between 1,000 to 2,000 struck it rich. Only one out of every thousand pans held gold. Finding it was rare, and finding it was hard.

 That’s a lot like truth today. 

But there are lessons from those gritty prospectors that apply to us:

Perseverance: It took endurance just to make the journey, let alone find gold.  Patience: They often panned hundreds of times before finding anything of value.  People: The Yukon was dangerous—wild animals, freezing temperatures, long harsh winters, and lawlessness. No one made it alone…you needed a team.  Perception: They had to train their eyes to spot the difference between real gold and fool’s gold—pyrite. 

We need perseverance through the trials and temptations we face. We need patience as God forms our faith and grows our character.  We need people—real community—to walk with us, encourage us, and keep us steady.  And we desperately need discernment to know what’s true and what’s fake, what’s eternal and what’s empty.

 It’s no surprise the Gold Rush attracted some characters—Soapy Smith, Swiftwater Bill, One-Eyed Riley, Skookum Jim, and Silent Sam, to name just a few. They remind me of Jesus’ ragtag group of disciples—guys with sketchy pasts and laundry lists of failures who became treasure hunters of the Kingdom.  That means you and I can get in the game too!  No exclusions.  If there’s room for One-eyed Riley, there’s room for me! 

Today’s gold nugget is this:  Those who seek God’s heart, His truth—will find it.  Proverbs 2 says to seek insight and understanding like hidden treasure, for the Lord grants wisdom.

But you’ve got to get in the river.  

You’ve got to pick up your pan.  

You’ve got to sift.