Do not be afraid when a man becomes rich, When the glory of his house is increased;For when he dies he will carry nothing away; His glory will not descend after him.Though while he lives he congratulates himself. And though men praise you when you do well for yourself–He shall go to the generation of his fathers; They will never see the light. Man in his pomp, yet without understanding, Is like the beasts that perish. Psalm 49:16-20
While we are on this earth, we often toil to make a name for ourselves, to gain wealth and to rise in the esteem of our fellow man. We spare no effort, and it becomes all consuming.
We need to remember that all of these things (wealth, honor and praise) are just fleeting things, and when you die, you “carry nothing away”. There are more important things to come, after this life. It’s a humbling thought despite our efforts, if we don’t have understanding, we are simply like the “beasts that perish”. However, it is also encouraging to me because those who store their treasures in heaven will have so much more to gain, and won’t have to worry about losing it all. What we have, salvation through Jesus Christ, can’t be lost.
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