The Daily Fountain Devotional of the Church Of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) 21 April 2024 – Do Not Put Your Trust In Riches
TOPIC: Do Not Put Your Trust In Riches
READ: Psalm 49: 1-20(NKJV)
- To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. Hear this, all peoples; Give ear, all inhabitants of the world,
- Both low and high, Rich and poor together.
- My mouth shall speak wisdom, And the meditation of my heart [shall give] understanding.
- I will incline my ear to a proverb; I will disclose my dark saying on the harp.
- Why should I fear in the days of evil, [When] the iniquity at my heels surrounds me?
- Those who trust in their wealth And boast in the multitude of their riches,
- None [of them] can by any means redeem [his] brother, Nor give to God a ransom for him —
- For the redemption of their souls [is] costly, And it shall cease forever —
- That he should continue to live eternally, [And] not see the Pit.
- For he sees wise men die; Likewise the fool and the senseless person perish, And leave their wealth to others.
- Their inner thought [is that] their houses [will last] forever, Their dwelling places to all generations; They call [their] lands after their own names.
- Nevertheless man, [though] in honor, does not remain; He is like the beasts [that] perish.
- This is the way of those who [are] foolish, And of their posterity who approve their sayings. Selah
- 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.
- But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave, For He shall receive me. Selah
- Do not be afraid when one becomes rich, When the glory of his house is increased;
- For when he dies he shall carry nothing away; His glory shall not descend after him.
- Though while he lives he blesses himself (For [men] will praise you when you do well for yourself),
- He shall go to the generation of his fathers; They shall never see light.
- A man [who is] in honor, yet does not understand, Is like the beasts [that] perish.
THE MESSAGE:
The life of a man does not consist in the abundance of his possessions. The vain glories of earthly wealth and riches have no eternal value – they expire within a specified time. Riches cannot ransom our souls; they will never offer our souls eternal life or grant us immortality of body. The redemption price of the soul is too high to be paid by corruptible things; it is more valuable than all the world (Mark 8: 36). The blood of Jesus alone redeems a soul.
We must not set our hope on uncertain riches. When the wicked man flourishes, do not envy him – he is damned already (Psa. 92: 7); godliness with contentment is great gain. No rich man is buried with stolen money, lands acquired by fraud, houses in various cities, ill-gotten wealth and blood money. As a mere breath, man fizzles out suddenly; he cannot abide in his pomp as his glory vanishes. The lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, pride of life and love for this world are vanities – we must not be entangled with them. Empty we came to this world, empty we must leave; this calls for wisdom. Put the totality of your trust in God; He will provide all your needs.
PRAYER: Dear Lord, please teach me to number my days that I may get a heart of wisdom in Jesus’ name, Amen.
