"God answers my prayers everywhere except on the golf-course."
Psalm 49
A very relevant message.People who have wealth but lack understanding are like beasts that perish...this is the fate of those who trust in themselves and of their followers who approve their sayings. Psalm 49:20 and 13.
This Psalm, which was written 1000s of years ago, has a very modern resonance. People today still trust in money. (And I cannot say that I am unaffected by concerns over stock exchange falls which reduce the value of my pension).
The concept of people needing the affirmation of “followers who approve their sayings” has taken on a new meaning with the advent of social media. Jesus might have said that a person’s life does not consist in the number of followers they have on twitter or instagram. Yet which of us does not enjoy a few likes, follows and retweets?
The Psalmist was ahead of his time in realizing that our significance as people depends on our relationship with God, not our wealth, the number of our followers or our achievements (sporting or otherwise). When you understand this, you are set free to live your life without feeling you have to prove your worth all the time.
And, as a bonus, the Psalm offers that amazing promise that “God will redeem me [and you] from the realm of the dead; he will surely take me [and you] to himself”. Psalm 49:20. This, as theologian Walter Brueggemann wrote is “an assertion which changes everything”.