READ Psalm 49:5–12. 5 Why should I fear when evil days come, when wicked deceivers surround me— 6 those who trust in their wealth and boast of their great riches? 7 No man can redeem the life of another or give to God a ransom for them— 8 the ransom for a life is costly, no payment is ever enough— 9 so that they should live on forever and not see decay. 10 For all can see that the wise die, that the foolish and the senseless also perish, leaving their wealth to others. 11 Their tombs will remain their houses forever, their dwellings for endless generations, though they had named lands after themselves. 12 People, despite their wealth, do not endure; they are like the beasts that perish.
NO SECURITY. The ordinary way to deal with the fear of the future is to “trust in . . . wealth.” (verse 6). But that is to put your confidence in something that will fail. Neither wealth nor any kind of human ingenuity can save you from bereavement, ill health, financial reversals, or relational betrayals—and finally, it cannot hold off your mortality. There is no “ransom” that can buy you out of death (verses 7–12). It is coming, and it will strip you of everything dear to you. It is, then, utterly foolish to live your life as if economic prosperity could keep you truly safe, or as if you will never die. Only God can give you things of value that death cannot touch but only enhance.
Prayer: Lord, I often catch myself imagining how much greater life would be if I had more. I also quietly “boast” in my heart when I see myself able to afford certain goods and inhabit certain places. Save my heart from such shallowness and foolishness. Amen.