Hello Advent Family,

Psalm 49 is a reminder to us of both God’s work in our lives and our responsibility to tell others about His work.  This Old Testament passage really describes the work of Jesus rescuing us from sin and death.  Let’s look at it together today.

Hear this, all you peoples;
    listen, all who live in this world,

both low and high,
    rich and poor alike:

My mouth will speak words of wisdom;
    the meditation of my heart will give you understanding.

I will turn my ear to a proverb;
    with the harp I will expound my riddle:

Why should I fear when evil days come,
    when wicked deceivers surround me—

those who trust in their wealth
    and boast of their great riches?

No one can redeem the life of another
    or give to God a ransom for them—

the ransom for a life is costly,
    no payment is ever enough—

so that they should live on forever
    and not see decay.

For all can see that the wise die,
    that the foolish and the senseless also perish,
    leaving their wealth to others.

Their tombs will remain their houses forever,
    their dwellings for endless generations,
    though they had named lands after themselves.

People, despite their wealth, do not endure;
    they are like the beasts that perish.

This is the fate of those who trust in themselves,
    and of their followers, who approve their sayings.

They are like sheep and are destined to die;
    death will be their shepherd
    (but the upright will prevail over them in the morning).
Their forms will decay in the grave,
    far from their princely mansions.

But God will redeem me from the realm of the dead;
    he will surely take me to himself.

The Psalmist reminds us that God does for us what we can not do for ourselves.  He also points out that no one else can rescue us it is something that God alone can do.  The last verse is the key, God will redeem me and take me to Himself.  That is exactly what God does through the work of Jesus’ death burial and resurrection.  Be encouraged today by the great love that God has for you that He would go to such lengths to rescue you.  embrace that act of lover and share that message of love with the world. 

In His Grip,

Pastor Dave