Corona Devo 1276

Not too long ago, we visited some friends and wow, do they live in a splendid home.  We'd been there years ago, but wow, this time their house and grounds were ever more splendid.

I came home desiring a cleaning lady, and our kids came home desiring a golf cart and a turf soccer field complete with goals.  

We want to live like them!

But be careful...

We might not want to die like them.  

~~~

The Bible cautions us not to get caught up in wealth and to boast of great riches.  

But that's so hard!  We see an item, a home, a car, an outfit, a vacation, a _____ that someone else has: and we want it.  

But, (God says), that flash won't last.  That money can't go with us when we die, and if we are not careful, that love-of-money will become our god here on earth, and riches and the lust for them will mess-up our destination when we die.

So...listen!  And pay attention to what God is telling us today:

Listen to this, all you people!  Pay attention, everyone in the world!  (2) High and low, rich and poor—listen!...  

(5) Why should I fear when trouble comes, when enemies surround me? 

(6) They trust in their wealth and boast of great riches.  (7) Yet they cannot redeem themselves from death by paying a ransom to God.  (8) Redemption does not come so easily, for no one can ever pay enough (9) to live forever and never see the grave.  

(10) Those who are wise must finally die, just like the foolish and senseless, leaving all their wealth behind.  (11) The grave is their eternal home, where they will stay forever.  

They may name their estates after themselves, (12) but their fame will not last.  They will die, just like animals.

(13) This is the fate of fools...  (14) Like sheep, they are led to the grave, where death will be their shepherd.  In the morning the godly will rule over them.  Their bodies will rot in the grave, far from their grand estates.  

(15) But as for me, God will redeem my life.  He will snatch me from the power of the grave.  

(16) So don’t be dismayed when the wicked grow rich and their homes become ever more splendid.  (17) For when they die, they take nothing with them.  Their wealth will not follow them into the grave.  (18) In this life they consider themselves fortunate and are applauded for their success. 

(19) But they will die like all before them and never again see the light of day.  (20) People who boast of their wealth don’t understand; they will die, just like animals.  ~Psalm 49:1-2, 5-19

~~~

Day after day...over and over, as I read through the Chapters of the Bible, I cannot get over how God gets me.  How He gets us.  God gave us His Word to guide our wandering hearts.  He knew that we would see the splendid homes and want them.  He knew we would lust after things that are not necessary or edifying.  He knew our hearts would stray, and so He gave us the Bible as an anchor to reel us (back) in, and to teach (and reteach) us His Truth.

Unfortunately...sinfully...human-nature-ly: it's our tendency to want what others have and to be continually lusting for more.  

My "more" might be defined differently than your "more", but we all want it...just a little bit more. 

However, God reminds us/teaches us/repeats to us today that the "more" will get us nowhere with God.  It gains us nothing, and redeems us nothing.  And our wealth will not (cannot!) follow us into the grave.

In fact, we have no source of the resources necessary to redeem us of our sins.  Only God the Father had that Source, and it did not come easily in the form of His (only) Son's crucifixion for our redemption.  But our redemption had to come that way, and our Father in Heaven knew it.  We couldn't (can't) redeem ourselves.  It's impossible for us to pay the ransom due for our sin.

Yet they cannot redeem themselves from death by paying a ransom to God.  (8) Redemption does not come so easily, for no one can ever pay enough (9) to live forever and never see the grave.  ~Psalm 49:7-9

Not one of us could ever pay enough to live forever.  But Jesus did pay enough.  And He didn't pay it with wealth, great riches, estates, or splendid homes.  He paid for our sin in love and with His blood on the cross.

And what He purchased for us with that blood was a home.  An eternal home in Heaven with Him.

We have to stop worrying/thinking/lusting over the splendid homes (etc.) that others might be living in today, because wow, God's House and grounds will be ever more splendid.

We want to live with Him!

Blessings,

sarah

https://sarahsundy04.blogspot.com