Heavenly Devotion: Psalm 49 – Worthless Wealth

Psalm 49 – Worthless wealth

(Written by Robert Quay)

The Psalm starts with a weighty call “HEAR THIS, all you peoples; give ear, all you inhabitants of the world, both low and high, rich and poor together. My mouth shall speak wisdom; the meditation of my heart shall be understanding.”

It reminds me again and again that all man (and beasts) however, rich or poor, weak or strong, or whatever situation one is in, will die! Death is guaranteed! (Hebrews 9:27). Yet we see the foolishness of men clamoring for worthless wealth, pleasures, and status. The psalm does not make being rich is a sin. The sin lies in trusting in riches! 

It is not money that is the root of all evil, but the love of it. (1 Timothy 6:10). It does well that we pay heed to the psalmist’s wisdom. He investigates that worldly wealth produces spiritual blindness and bankruptcy. The foolish man is cushioned against a harsh world of reality by his money. The grave robs him of wealth and makes him foolish nor can he purchase or ransom a man’s life with money. He is confused with eternity, and his faith is placed in the wrong thing. He focused on the wrong world. In short, he is robbed of his future, fortune, and his faith. 

As believers, we are not redeemed with corruptible things such as silver and gold but with the precious blood of Christ. The world is a temporary place, let us remember this world is not my own I am just a passing through. Thus, as true believers “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’” (Hebrews 13:5)

Let’s Read Psalm 49

For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. 

1 Hear this, all peoples!
    Give ear, all inhabitants of the world,
2 both low and high,
    rich and poor together!
3 My mouth shall speak wisdom;
    the meditation of my heart shall be understanding.
4 I will incline my ear to a proverb;
    I will solve my riddle to the music of the lyre.

5 Why should I fear in times of trouble,
    when the iniquity of those who cheat me surrounds me,
6 those who trust in their wealth
    and boast of the abundance of their riches?
7 Truly no man can ransom another,
    or give to God the price of his life,
8 for the ransom of their life is costly
    and can never suffice,
9 that he should live on forever
    and never see the pit.

10 For he sees that even the wise die;
    the fool and the stupid alike must perish
    and leave their wealth to others.
11 Their graves are their homes forever,
    their dwelling places to all generations,
    though they called lands by their own names.
12 Man in his pomp will not remain;
    he is like the beasts that perish.

13 This is the path of those who have foolish confidence;
    yet after them people approve of their boasts. Selah
14 Like sheep they are appointed for Sheol;
    death shall be their shepherd,
and the upright shall rule over them in the morning.
    Their form shall be consumed in Sheol, with no place to dwell.
15 But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol,
    for he will receive me. Selah

16 Be not afraid when a man becomes rich,
    when the glory of his house increases.
17 For when he dies he will carry nothing away;
    his glory will not go down after him.
18 For though, while he lives, he counts himself blessed
    —and though you get praise when you do well for yourself—
19 his soul will go to the generation of his fathers,
    who will never again see light.
20 Man in his pomp yet without understanding is like the beasts that perish.

Let’s Pray

Almighty Father, help us to trust you wholeheartedly with all our hearts, minds, and soul. Keep our lives from the love of money. We thank you for the blessed hope we have coming soon as we see the world events leading to the soon return of our blessed Lord Jesus. Keep us faithful and walking in your ways. In Jesus’ Name. Amen!