Day 152, more insights

What's Important in Life? (Psalm 49) Psalm 49 is a song of wisdom that talks about things in which people place their confidence, particularly their riches. It sounds very similar to Solomon’s words, and it may have been written just before he wrote Ecclesiastes. Wisdom literature contains poetic sentiments that are usually true. The Psalmist says, Why should I fear when evil days come, when wicked deceivers surround me-- those who trust in their wealth and boast of their great riches? No man can redeem the life of another or give to God a ransom for him-- the ransom for a life is costly, no payment is ever enough--that he should live on forever and not see decay. For all can see that wise men die; the foolish and the senseless alike perish and leave their wealth to others. (Psalm 49:5-10, NIV) [Wait! We can’t buy off God? Even with giving to charities or helping the homeless? No. That sounds pretty hopeless, doesn’t it? So what is the confidence of the Psalmist? He continues:] But God will redeem my life from the grave; he will surely take me to himself.…. A man who has riches without understanding is like the beasts that perish (Psalm 49:15,20, NIV). Have we placed our confidence in ourselves and our riches? A man’s riches and success will not bring him favor with God. Do we have spiritual understanding—has God’s Spirit awakened our need for him? Has he enlightened our minds? If not, then the Psalmist says we will die like animals with no future hope. We can’t buy off God. Christ graciously paid for all our wrongs by his crucifixion in our place. “For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit” (1Peter 3:18, NIV). Jesus died, yes, but in three days, he arose from the tomb. Jesus is powerful enough to save us. If we wish to be saved, we can trust in God to deliver us from the ultimate destruction of our bodies and the everlasting destruction of our souls. Jesus said, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions” (Luke 12:15, NIV). True life and happiness are found in Christ. There is no other way to find peace with God and in our souls (John 14:6). If any of us haven’t, in desperation, called out to God, he is waiting. Won’t we turn to him now from our sins and be saved? (more) If we have placed our confidence in God for salvation but are living for ourselves, that brings misery and pain—we were created to give God glory. As the old hymn says, “I’ll live for him who died for me, how happy then my life shall be.” True, not all of our problems will go away, but our souls will be at peace, and God will help us make it through them. He will help us enjoy the journey. At the end is joy forevermore. re-edited 4-2-2024

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