“For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?”
“But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?”
Psalms 49:1 Hear this, all peoples! Give ear, all inhabitants of the world, both low and high, rich and poor together! My mouth shall speak wisdom; the meditation of my heart shall be understanding. I will incline my ear to a proverb; I will solve my riddle to the music of the lyre. 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. For he sees that even the wise die; the fool and the stupid alike must perish and leave their wealth to others. Their graves are their homes forever, their dwelling places to all generations, though they called lands by their own names. Man in his pomp will not remain; he is like the beasts that perish. This is the path of those who have foolish confidence; yet after them people approve of their boasts. Like sheep they are appointed for Sheol; death shall be their shepherd, and the upright shall rule over them in the morning. Their form shall be consumed in Sheol, with no place to dwell.
1 Timothy 6:6 But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.
We often have thoughts about people and their success on the wealth they have don’t we? We even have some thoughts about wanting the same or at least part of the same things they have. We get envious and soon are not content. This Psalm does make clear the impotence of wealth, the trust in it and the final reward for this trust – eternity in Hell. We leave all behind in this life – nothing is ours – we only have use of it for this side of eternity. If only we have clear understanding of this. Would our giving be greater? Would we be more content with what we have and stop seeking more and more of what this world has to offer? Seeking after more and more replaces thoughts of humbly serving, honoring, and obeying God. Our heart and mind get consumed with everything that is temporal at the cost of that which is eternal. This should not be so. Check your giving, generosity, contentment, and how much time is used getting verses giving. We all can do so much better in our focus for honor and glory to God.