Psalms Sunday - Psalm 49

A Wisdom Psalm.

Psalm 49
To the Chief Musician. 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,
And the meditation of my heart shall give understanding.
4 I will incline my ear to a proverb;
I will disclose my dark saying on the harp.

5 Why should I fear in the days of evil,
When the iniquity at my heels surrounds me?
6 Those who trust in their wealth
And boast in the multitude of their riches,
7 None of them can by any means redeem his brother,
Nor give to God a ransom for him—
8 For the redemption of their souls is costly,
And it shall cease forever—
9 That he should continue to live eternally,
And not see the Pit.

10 For he sees wise men die;
Likewise the fool and the senseless person perish,
And leave their wealth to others.
11 Their inner thought is that their houses will last forever,[a]
Their dwelling places to all generations;
They call their lands after their own names.
12 Nevertheless man, though in honor, does not remain;[b]
He is like the beasts that perish.

13 This is the way of those who are foolish,
And of their posterity who approve their sayings. Selah
14 Like sheep they are laid in the grave;
Death shall feed on them;
The upright shall have dominion over them in the morning;
And their beauty shall be consumed in the grave, far from their dwelling.
15 But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave,
For He shall receive me. Selah

16 Do not be afraid when one becomes rich,
When the glory of his house is increased;
17 For when he dies he shall carry nothing away;
His glory shall not descend after him.
18 Though while he lives he blesses himself
(For men will praise you when you do well for yourself),
19 He shall go to the generation of his fathers;
They shall never see light.
20 A man who is in honor, yet does not understand,
Is like the beasts that perish.

So many today strive to fill their homes with lavish things. A big screen TV, a fancy pool or a huge spa. And while we may want these things, because we think they will make us happier, I think a part of us wants them to show them off to others. Isn't it funny, how after a big screen TV purchase, you want to invite the friends over to watch the next football game. You want to boast of your purchase. Why is it that we are like this? Why is it so important to us to have the "in" things?
No, I don't have a big screen TV, nor do I want one. But I have purchased other "things" before, like a Dooney & Bourke Purse, and thought, oh people will see it and love it and be jealous. And that isn't very Christian of me, now is it?

I think it is so important, for us as parents, to raise our children differently. It is hard in an instant gratification society. It is hard, when we want to lavish gifts upon our children, because we like to see them happy. But I think it is important for them to realize that "things" aren't important. That having the brand new toy on the commercial that was just watched, isn't important.

I think instead, we should be teaching our children the best ways to save money. And I think it is important to focus more on our relationship with God, than on our relationship with the nearby shopping malls.

Because in the grand scheme of things, all the stuff we have, is just stuff. And most of it, doesn't last. The big TV's eventually break. The spas aren't used anymore after the newness wears off. The brand new car you just "have to have", loses it's new car smell rather quickly and not to mention a big chunk of value, when you drive it off the lot.

As Solomon says, it's all meaningless. It really is. No offense to those who have purchased a big screen TV.

What's important is our relationship with God. Because I would rather enjoy eternity with my Savior in a mansion built for me, than spend my time all wrapped up with money and "things" here on earth.
And I want my kids to live in the same way, and for them to pass that trait onto their kids.

And it's a struggle, because I wasn't raised that way. I am getting better at how I spend my money, but I am nowhere near where I want to be yet. But I am working on it.
Just like I need to work on my relationship with God, everyday, because I have been slacking there as well.

"Give me neither poverty nor riches — feed me with the food allotted to me; lest I be full and deny You, and say, "Who is the LORD?" Or lest I be poor and steal, and profane the name of my God." (Proverbs 30:8-9)

"A million “well done’s” on earth will mean nothing without the ultimate well done of our heavenly Father on that great and glorious day." Darlene Zschech