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
Provenance is the origin or source from which something comes, and the history of its creation and ownership. As a collector, I’ve come to love this word. By the time "stuff" hits the flea market, provenance is lost. Sometimes detective work yields clues on an item's history.
Antiques remind us of our mortality, since the seasons of life for previous owners have passed. I'm reminded to reflect on the purposes and changing perspectives of society throughout decades and centuries. A commonality is expressed in Ecclesiastes 3 and in today's psalm. Will people recognize the provenance of this world, its creation and ownership by our Heavenly Father? Do we honor the legacies of blessings others have shared with us? Will we be good stewards, passing along the possessions, stories and lessons of life and faith?
Prayer
Lord, we are created in Your image. Inspire us to live in such a way that we recognize Your presence in others, and they glimpse our provenance from You. Amen