It keeps me awake at night

Psalm 49

This morning in my time of waking up and hearing from God the Father, I was reading in Psalm 49 looking for direction and insight about the new day the Father had given me.  Over the last few years I’ve come to understand that it is not what I do not know that keeps me awake at nights, but what I do know and understand.  For me, it is one verse in the Old Testament that keeps me awake because I fully understand who is speaking and that He requires this of all men.  It is found in Micah 6:8, “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”  It would be easier on my sleeping time if the LORD had used another word other than “require” and in that I’m not very well educated I checked the meaning in my dictionary; require: “(of someone in authority) instruct or expect (someone) to do something.”  God requires me to be just in all aspects of life, to not just show kindness, but to love kindness, and to walk humbly with Him and that is why Psalm 49 grabbed me this morning.

In 2015, the culture in and out of the church is a fixation with self, those with much and those with little have many things in common, and greed and self are at the top of the list.  Many in and out of the church have little fear of God, they look to their wealth and it has taken the place of God, and many of the under resourced look to government and programs and have no need of God.  But if you are looking to fill that longing, that hole in you that craves stuff, trips, and all the other things that are passing away, and you will be passing away too.  For I’ve watched and had over 70 years of observations and realized no one gets out alive and no one takes their stuff with them.  Then take a moment and hear what God is saying to each of us.

“Hear this, all peoples! Give ear, all inhabitants of the world, both low and high, rich

 and poor together!” (Psalm 49:1-2 ESV)  That seems to be all-inclusive!  Let’s keep 

reading, “Why should I fear in times of trouble, when the iniquity of those who cheat 

me surrounds me, those who trust in their wealth and boast of the abundance of their 

riches? Truly no man can ransom another, or give to God the price of his life, for the 

ransom of their life is costly and can never suffice, that he should live on forever and 

never see the pit.”  (Psalm 49:5-9 ESV)  No need for a commentary, we are all heading 

for the dirt, and God who has no needs cannot be bought off.  It is sad but many are 

trusting in their wealth, and we are all going to experience a time where life cannot be 

bought.  And it is so important to understand the Father sent the Son to pay what wealth 

and title could not pay for, and Jesus became our only hope for life, now and forever.

Have you observed how the hard work and sacrifices of one person to leave an 

inheritance was foolishly wasted by the one who had no skin in the game, this verse 

deals with that: “For he sees that even the wise die; the fool and the stupid alike must 

perish and leave their wealth to others.” (Psalm 49:10 ESV)

The Sons of Korah tell us in this Psalm that this will not be so for the ones who look to 

the Lord, the 15 verses give this insight; “But God will ransom my soul from the power 

of Sheol, for he will receive me.”   The Bible talks about a place called Hell, a place of 

darkness and suffering, much more than it addresses heaven.  Please read these last five 

verses: “Be not afraid when a man becomes rich, when the glory of his house increases. 

For when he dies he will carry nothing away; his glory will not go down after him. For 

though, while he lives, he counts himself blessed—and though you get praise when you 

do well for yourself—his soul will go to the generation of his fathers, who will never again 

see light.  Man in his pomp yet without understanding is like the beasts that perish.”   

(Psalm 49:16-20 ESV)

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice