Psalm 49

“Be not afraid when a man becomes rich, for when he dies he will carry nothing away; his glory will not go down after him” (v16-17).  The psalmist reminds us that wealth cannot be carried beyond the grave.  We get very impressed by people who build empires, and we admire people whose names are well-known (v18), but God sees differently.   Our lives are short (v12, 20), and our eternal significance is determined by our relationship to Him.

“But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol, for he will receive me” (v15).  We cannot escape death, but we can live wisely, knowing every moment has meaning in light of God’s eternity.