As I got to Psalm 49 this morning, my first thought was that this psalm has the flavor of Ecclesiastes. And if you want a fuller treatment on the perspective of the Psalm writer, take a bit and read though the book of Ecclesiastes at one setting. It is a humbling read!
My second thought as I read Psalm 49 was that Jesus was probably humming this psalm under his breath as he told the story of the rich man who built big barns and contented himself in his wealth. (Luke 12:16 - 21) The ideas and the point of the message are the same.
This is a psalm that calls us to consider something unpleasant (our own mortality) so that we can appreciate the the true value our souls before God's eternity. The wealth of this world, we cannot take it with us when we die - or in the title of one of John Ortberg's books - When the Game is Over It All Goes Back in the Box. Most of us don't take the eternal view of life. We are content with trying to "win" at the activities before us. Wealth is one of our main markers for success in this life. It shows we have done well.
But wealth is an unsteady and inadequate foundation upon which to build for eternity. God and the Eternal Kingdom have no exchange rate for earthly wealth. When all the world is His, what need does He have for a few dollars of our "made up" money? "Man in his pomp, yet without understanding, is like the beasts that perish." (49:20). It is a sobering thought.
So, in what are you placing your trust this week? Where do your hopes and satisfactions lie? There is only one place that is eternal, and there is only One who can get us there. Will you renew your trust in him today?
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