Not Goods, but the Good

“Wherefore should I fear in the evil days, when iniquity shall compass me about, as at mine heels? They trust in their goods, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches. Yet a man can by no means redeem his brother: he cannot give his ransom to God, (so precious is the redemption of their souls, and the continuance forever) that he may live still forever, and not see the grave. For he seeth that wise men die: and also that the ignorant and foolish perish, and leave their riches for others. Yet they think their houses and their habitations shall continue forever, even from generation to generation, and call their lands by their names. But man shall not continue in honor; he is like the beasts that die. This their way uttereth their foolishness; yet their posterity delight in their talk...like sheep they lie in grave; death devoureth them; and the righteous shall have domination over them in the morning; for their beauty shall consume, when they shall go from their house to grave...be not thou afraid when one is made rich, and when the glory of his house is increased. For he shall take nothing away, when he dieth, neither shall his pomp descend after him. For while he lived, he rejoiced himself; and men will praise thee, when thou makest much of thyself. He shall enter into the generation of his fathers, and they shall not live forever. Man is in honor; and understandeth not; he is like to beasts that perish” (Psalm 49:5-20, Geneva Bible).

For a government (elected by the people for the people) to borrow $4,000,000 a minute, spending $2.06 for every $1.00 it takes in...these things cannot last forever (I’m starting to wonder if we’re seeing “Lord of the Flies” played out over a few centuries in this Republic). This is reason for despair if 49:15 (the only such verse in this Psalm) is not the solid confession of your faith in this world: “...God shall deliver my soul from the power of the grave; for He will receive me” (49:15).

As a dear brother of mine once said, “faith is faith only when Christ is all you have.” It seems the Father, in His disciplining love for His children (Hebrews 12:1-13), is bringing His Church to a place where this is our reality, to our ultimate and eternal joy. “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most miserable. But now is Christ risen from the dead, and was made the firstfruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in His own order: the firstfruits is Christ, afterward, they that are of Christ, at His coming shall rise again. Then shall be the end, when He hath delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father, when He hath put down all rule, and all authority and power. For He must reign till He hath put all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed, is death. For He hath put down all things under His feet. (And when He saith that all things are subdued to Him, it is manifest that He is excepted, which did put down all things under him.) And when all things shall be subdued unto Him, then shall the Son also Himself be subject unto Him, that did subdue all things under Him, that God may be all in all” (1 Corinthians 15:19-28). Our faith is not in political party, economic system, or earthly citizenship. He will make sure His children in Christ learn this lesson well. For our good and His glory.