READ:
Psalms 49-51
Psalm 49 is one of the “wisdom” psalms.
As a culture, we have fallen into the very traps this psalm speaks about.
Although it seems like it was written for North American believers, the first
two verses break that theory by calling everyone to listen and pay attention,
whether they are rich, or poor, important or not.
An interesting definition appears in verses
5-6. The evildoers, or the wicked, are those who trust in their wealth. This
should cause us alarm and concern. When we struggle with having little, it is
easy to believe everything would get better with just a bit more money. That
amount is always out of reach. When we have much, our struggle is to experience
our need for God.
The harsh reality is this: all of us
will die, whether rich or poor. Businesses, property, estates, bank accounts
and retirement funds may in fact last longer than the people who began them. If
all we are gathering together is what we can touch, feel and count, our life
and legacy will disappear when we die. Yet God offers to redeem us, and our
legacy. This hope is sure! Verse 17 reminds us when God redeems us our life
does not end when we die! It is not our wealth, nor our poverty, that saves us,
but the redemption God offers.
Verses 7-9 speak about this redemption.
No one can redeem the life of anyone else because the ransom for a life is too
costly – especially to be redeemed into eternal life. This is out of reach even
for the wealthiest person on earth. Yet this is our gift! We can have this
redemption because the one who could save us has. He has paid that costly
ransom price!
The final few verses again remind us of
how wealth works. It attracts much attention here on this earth. We count
ourselves blessed. Those who have money are high and lofty, the coveted ones.
But are we really blessed? Is it a blessing when it cannot be carried into
eternity? We cannot take our wealth with us when we die.
JOURNALING
AND PRAYER
1. A spirit
of poverty is one that often causes us to feel poor, whether we really are
or not. Even a wealthy person can have a spirit of poverty. It can be what
drives a person to rely on and gain wealth. This psalm makes it clear we cannot
trust in wealth. A spirit of wealth,
on the other hand, is one that can cause us to demand blessing or prosperity.
It can cause us to trust in our possessions or abilities rather than God. Or it
can cause us to demand things of God and limit our submission to Him based on
our perceived blessing. Ask the Lord if you have either, or both, or none of
these. Let Him speak openly and honest with you about this. Ask Him plainly:
Jesus, do I fully trust you to provide for me everything I need? How much do I
truly believe that you are all I need today and ever? Let the Lord speak to you
about this. If you sense a spirit of poverty or wealth that is burdensome, or
has been passed on to you through generational bondage, consider making a
personal ministry appointment.
2. Verse 18 talks about how people treat
wealthy people differently and praise them when they prosper. The opposite is
also true. We often treat people as less-than when they are poor or experience
financial difficulty. Ask the Lord to bring to mind a wealthy person you have
honored (perhaps even secretly) because of their wealth, and someone you have
treated poorly (perhaps secretly) because of their poverty. Ask God to speak to
you about their true value. Confess any sin and ask Him for a step of obedience
to demonstrate biblical honor that is not based on wealth.
3. Since we cannot take our wealth with us
when we die, what does the Lord want you to be investing in today (your time,
energy, money) so that a genuine legacy will last into eternity? Listen
carefully to His answer and ask Him to give you the next step in accomplishing
that task.
