Psalm 49:15 But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for he shall receive me. Selah.
Yes Friends, this is what I intended to write yesterday, before the Lord shamed me into writing a Eulogy for my Cousin Tony. I’m glad He did, for I would have felt even worse than I do now for not remembering how good the Dove family was to me when I first came to Canada. And if it’s so easy to forget the goodness of fellow mortals, whom we can see and touch, what of the immortal God, whom we can’t eh? Guess that’s partly why Bruh David wrote Psalm 49: To remind people to trust in God, not earthly wealth, and address man’s eternal perplexity; the prosperity of the wicked. ‘Hear this, all ye people, give ear all ye inhabitants of the world: Both low and high, rich and poor, together. My mouth shall speak of wisdom; and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding…Wherefore should I fear in the days of evil, when the iniquity of my heels shall compass me about? They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches; None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him…’ (vs.1-7) Ah Friends, that’s the awesome truth: No material possessions of man can induce God to do anything. Yet men still cling foolishly to earthly artefacts. ‘For he seeth that wise men die, likewise the fool and the brutish person perish, and leave their wealth to others. Their inward thought is; that their houses shall continue for ever, and their dwelling places to all generations; they call their lands after their own names.’ (vs.10-11) Oh people, that foolishness is even more prevalent now, than in Bruh David’s time. All around us, others are seeking to amass fame and fortune, to boost their self esteem and sense of importance, and leave their names etched in posterity. But Friends that doesn’t work, especially in this modern age, where the key word is expendable; ‘What have you done for me lately? Nothing. Then bye!’ This generation is the most fickle, with the shortest memory span. ‘Nevertheless man being in honour abideth not: he is like the beasts that perish. This their way is their folly: yet their posterity approve their sayings.’ (vs.12-13) Yes people, though it’s foolish and doesn’t work, we still allow the enemy to beguile us into doing it. ‘Like sheep they are laid in the grave; death shall feed on them…’ (vs.14) So true friends, so true! ‘But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for he shall receive me. Selah.’ An even more important truth people! Believers will not see death, for Jesus has already ransomed our soul by His death and resurrection. And like Him, who rose on that glorious Easter morn, so we too shall rise on that fateful day. ‘I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction.’ (Hos.13:14) And in Acts 2:31-32, Bruh Paul talks about Bruh David. ‘He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption. This Jesus hath God raised up, wherefore we all are witnesses.’ Oh people of God, let’s rise above the ungodly drive for riches and the subsequent boasting thereof nuh! But also, ‘Be not thou afraid when one is made rich, when the glory of his house is increased. For when he dieth he shall carry nothing away: his glory shall not descend after him.’ (vs.16-17) Yes Friends, if the Lord happens to bless us with earthly wealth, don’t cling to it or be afraid. Enjoy and share it in a godly manner. For ‘Man that is in honour, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish.’ (vs.20) That’s it Friends; the destiny of the wicked and the righteous: If the Lord honours us and we don’t reciprocate properly, we’re like the ignorant beasts that have no soul. The wicked have no hope beyond this mortal coil. But if we’re righteous, there’s resurrection and eternal life to look forward to. For then, ‘Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.’ (Ps.73:24) So Friends, let’s stop considering earthly wealth as an end in itself and see it in its proper context; a means of furthering God’s work here on earth. Much LOVE!…we brought nothing…and will take nothing…
Yes Friends, this is what I intended to write yesterday, before the Lord shamed me into writing a Eulogy for my Cousin Tony. I’m glad He did, for I would have felt even worse than I do now for not remembering how good the Dove family was to me when I first came to Canada. And if it’s so easy to forget the goodness of fellow mortals, whom we can see and touch, what of the immortal God, whom we can’t eh? Guess that’s partly why Bruh David wrote Psalm 49: To remind people to trust in God, not earthly wealth, and address man’s eternal perplexity; the prosperity of the wicked. ‘Hear this, all ye people, give ear all ye inhabitants of the world: Both low and high, rich and poor, together. My mouth shall speak of wisdom; and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding…Wherefore should I fear in the days of evil, when the iniquity of my heels shall compass me about? They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches; None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him…’ (vs.1-7) Ah Friends, that’s the awesome truth: No material possessions of man can induce God to do anything. Yet men still cling foolishly to earthly artefacts. ‘For he seeth that wise men die, likewise the fool and the brutish person perish, and leave their wealth to others. Their inward thought is; that their houses shall continue for ever, and their dwelling places to all generations; they call their lands after their own names.’ (vs.10-11) Oh people, that foolishness is even more prevalent now, than in Bruh David’s time. All around us, others are seeking to amass fame and fortune, to boost their self esteem and sense of importance, and leave their names etched in posterity. But Friends that doesn’t work, especially in this modern age, where the key word is expendable; ‘What have you done for me lately? Nothing. Then bye!’ This generation is the most fickle, with the shortest memory span. ‘Nevertheless man being in honour abideth not: he is like the beasts that perish. This their way is their folly: yet their posterity approve their sayings.’ (vs.12-13) Yes people, though it’s foolish and doesn’t work, we still allow the enemy to beguile us into doing it. ‘Like sheep they are laid in the grave; death shall feed on them…’ (vs.14) So true friends, so true! ‘But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for he shall receive me. Selah.’ An even more important truth people! Believers will not see death, for Jesus has already ransomed our soul by His death and resurrection. And like Him, who rose on that glorious Easter morn, so we too shall rise on that fateful day. ‘I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction.’ (Hos.13:14) And in Acts 2:31-32, Bruh Paul talks about Bruh David. ‘He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption. This Jesus hath God raised up, wherefore we all are witnesses.’ Oh people of God, let’s rise above the ungodly drive for riches and the subsequent boasting thereof nuh! But also, ‘Be not thou afraid when one is made rich, when the glory of his house is increased. For when he dieth he shall carry nothing away: his glory shall not descend after him.’ (vs.16-17) Yes Friends, if the Lord happens to bless us with earthly wealth, don’t cling to it or be afraid. Enjoy and share it in a godly manner. For ‘Man that is in honour, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish.’ (vs.20) That’s it Friends; the destiny of the wicked and the righteous: If the Lord honours us and we don’t reciprocate properly, we’re like the ignorant beasts that have no soul. The wicked have no hope beyond this mortal coil. But if we’re righteous, there’s resurrection and eternal life to look forward to. For then, ‘Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.’ (Ps.73:24) So Friends, let’s stop considering earthly wealth as an end in itself and see it in its proper context; a means of furthering God’s work here on earth. Much LOVE!…we brought nothing…and will take nothing…
SCRIP-BITS 