Psalm 49:1-12 (NRSV)
Read Psalm 49:1-12 on biblegateway.com
Verse 1Hear this, all you peoples; give ear, all inhabitants of the world,
Verse 2both low and high, rich and poor together.
Verse 3My mouth shall speak wisdom; the meditation of my heart shall be understanding.
Verse 4I will incline my ear to a proverb; I will solve my riddle to the music of the harp.
Verse 5Why should I fear in times of trouble, when the iniquity of my persecutors surrounds me,
Verse 6those who trust in their wealth and boast of the abundance of their riches?
Verse 7Truly, no ransom avails for one's life, there is no price one can give to God for it.
Verse 8For the ransom of life is costly, and can never suffice
Verse 9that one should live on forever and never see the grave.
Verse 10When we look at the wise, they die; fool and dolt perish together and leave their wealth to others.
Verse 11Their graves are their homes forever, their dwelling places to all generations, though they named lands their own.
Verse 12Mortals cannot abide in their pomp; they are like the animals that perish.
Devotion
The Psalmist will solve the great riddle of life for us – death is the great equalizer! Those who live with privilege and those who live with persecution will all end in the grave.
That’s sobering. In a day when being 60 is the “new 40” and medical advances give hope of extending life from most things that ail us, it can be easy to forget that life is terminal. To put our trust in anything we own or do will not make any difference. We can’t buy life forever.
But thanks be to God we don’t have to. Even though the grave is our common denominator, it is not the end. Our trust is placed in Jesus Christ, who is the true great equalizer. Through him we have equal access to the Father, in whom there is life forever.
Prayer
Dear God, we look to you for life, today and forever. Look on us in favor through your son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.