ETERNAL OR ETERNALLY USELESS?

Why Should I Fear in Times of Trouble?

To the choirmaster. A Psalm 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,^{1

49:11
Septuagint, Syriac, Targum; Hebrew Their inward thought was that their homes were 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.^{2

49:13
Or and of those after them who 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.

Footnotes

[1] 49:11 Septuagint, Syriac, Targum; Hebrew Their inward thought was that their homes were forever
[2] 49:13 Or and of those after them who approve of their boasts

Psalm 49 discusses the folly of trusting in material riches as a means of lasting security. Does that resonate in Dallas or what?

I really enjoy fishing, and living here I see material influences constantly cast in my direction. Though I recognize the dangerous lure of materialism, I still get hooked sometimes thinking how much richer I'd like to be, for example, with a new bass boat or a waterfront lake house. There's nothing necessarily wrong with landing those things. But when I misread my depth finder and start thinking that material things will make my life complete, then it becomes folly, eventually entangling me in a backlash. It's foolish to think that reeling in worldly treasure provides self-confidence or security. (That’s enough of the fishing analogy.)

God has certainly blessed me with worldly treasure. But as Psalm 49 says, this treasure is fleeting and cannot provide eternal security. C.S. Lewis said, "All that is not eternal is eternally out of date." So then, what's eternal?

God's Word is eternal (Isaiah 40:8), and it instructs me to trust in Him rather than in material wealth. In fact, God desires that I generously share His blessings with others.

God's saving grace is eternal (Romans 8:38-39). My heavenly Father, by grace, has humbly ransomed me through Christ's payment.

Like the message in Psalm 49:15, Jesus said of His followers, “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish; no one will snatch them from my hand.” (John 10:28) When I meditate on and trust in this promise, the fog of folly fades and is replaced by the confidence that Christ alone guarantees my eternal security. (1 John 5:11-13) I will trust in that "Blessed Assurance," and perhaps "In the Sweet By and By,” Johnny Cash, my grandma, and I can go fishing! Maybe Johnny will sing a hymn for us.

Speaking of hymns, Psalm 49 reminds me of "Jesus, I Love Thy Charming Name."

"Yes, Thou art precious to my soul,
My Transport and my Trust;
Jewels to Thee are gaudy toys,
And gold is sordid dust."

1. What is precious to your soul—the eternal or the eternally useless?

2. If you believe it's the eternal, have you genuinely acknowledged in your heart that the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ alone has eternally ransomed you from sin?
3. If you have acknowledged God's grace and forgiveness, with whom will you lovingly share that news today?
4. If Jesus is your "transport" and your "trust," is that evidenced in how you're stewarding the material riches God has given you? See Luke 12:48 and check out this three-minute video clip: http://www.dontwasteyourlife.com/Podcast/19/.