“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.”
Psalm 49:14–15

As you read through Psalm 49, you hear the writer counsel us not to put our confidence in riches. This is a psalm written to every walk of life—“to all peoples” and “all inhabitants of the world” (v. 1). It applies to both rich and poor (v. 2), high and low (v. 2), wise and foolish (v. 10). The psalm reminds us that we cannot take our riches with us, so we should not make them our life’s pursuit, nor should we envy the rich. The psalmist warns the godly not to envy the wicked in their prosperity or be seduced by their possessions.

It has often been said, “You can’t take it with you—you never see a U-Haul behind a hearse.” Everyone will leave everything behind. This is why it is important not to live only for the here and now, but to live now with eternity in view. The Lord Jesus said, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matt. 6:19–21).

Psalm 49 also presents another sobering but necessary truth: death comes to us all. Every one of us will die and be laid in the grave unless the Lord returns first. The psalmist tells us that man, like an animal, will be buried (v. 12), and death will consume his physical body. Our bodies—though fearfully and wonderfully made—will decay in the grave. But the upright, those who trusted not in riches but in the Lord, will have a beauty beyond the grave.

This is where our But God appears. The psalmist emphasizes two truths:

The Lord will redeem the soul of the upright from the power of the grave.
For us, this is made possible only through the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ (Heb. 2:14–15).

The Lord will receive the soul of the redeemed.
How wonderful to be assured that anyone and everyone who puts their confidence in Christ will be received by Him (John 6:37, 39).

Anchor For Today
Live each day will eternity in view.