Scripture Reading(s)
Psalm 49:1-12
49:1 Hear this, all you peoples; give ear, all inhabitants of the world,
49:2 both low and high, rich and poor together.
49:3 My mouth shall speak wisdom; the meditation of my heart shall be understanding.
49:4 I will incline my ear to a proverb; I will solve my riddle to the music of the harp.
49:5 Why should I fear in times of trouble, when the iniquity of my persecutors surrounds me,
49:6 those who trust in their wealth and boast of the abundance of their riches?
49:7 Truly, no ransom avails for one’s life, there is no price one can give to God for it.
49:8 For the ransom of life is costly, and can never suffice
49:9 that one should live on forever and never see the grave.
49:10 When we look at the wise, they die; fool and dolt perish together and leave their wealth to others.
49:11 Their graves are their homes forever, their dwelling places to all generations, though they named lands their own.
49:12 Mortals cannot abide in their pomp; they are like the animals that perish.
Reflections
Wisdom is something that can truly dictate the heart of ones life and actions. If one chooses to incline their hearts towards things that are of more value and meaning, rather then material things that are only temporary, then one can truly say that their life is purposeful.
Living a life for God and not for our own pleasures helps us view life’s good and bad through a more eternal perspective. What that means is we set our sight on knowing that one day we will be spending eternity with God and that all that we accomplished in this life, if not for God’s Glory will be meaningless and pass away. Our hope ought to be set on looking forward to the day when we can leave all of this behind and spend our lives loving and worshipping God.
Echoing the wisdom found in Ecclesiastes, the Psalmist highlights that fact that those who seek their identity in money or worldly things all have the same fate as the poor and even the animals.
Mortals cannot abide in their pomp; they are like the animals that perish. (Psalm 49:12)
The Psalmist also says that no amount of money can ransom a life from the Lord. We will never be able escape the fate and the will of the Lord, no matter how much power and clout one gains here on the earth. We are all still mortals and we will all one day meet our maker. May we be always try to live a life that will build up the kingdom of God and not the Kingdom of Self.
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