Today's Passage - Psalm 49:10-20

River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english Psalm 49:10-20    ...Do not be overawed when others grow rich, when the splendor of their houses increases; for they will take nothing with them when they die, their splendor will not descend with them. Though while they live they count themselves blessed - and people praise you when you prosper - they will join those who have gone before them, who will never again see the light of life. People who have wealth but lack understanding are like the beasts that perish.    May God once again remind us not to just value wealth on earth or material things, because when our life ends we can't bring anything with us. Right before Emperor Alexander died, he instructed people to drill two holes on the cover on his coffin so that his hands can stick outside of the coffin, showing people that, even though he was splendidly rich when he was alive, after he died his hands were empty because he couldn't take anything with him. Even though it's a sorrowful thing for our life, but it's an important biblical doctrine that we need to be responsible for our life. Our life is not about our time on earth and it doesn't end with the end of our days on earth, because God has prepared eternal life for us. Brothers and sisters, have you thought about how we will face our God after we leave this world?   Verse 16 says that "Do not be overawed when others grow rich." When we see other people become rich and be blessed, we often feel jealous of then. When you go to someone's house and see that their kitchen is bigger than your living room, you will think jealously: "What's the big deal, we don't live by food alone!" Sometimes we complain before God: "Lord, why do I fear you but still have such a difficult life? Those who don't believe in you are boasting about themselves, but not even they are so blessed, other people also praise them!" Actually, verse 18 tells us that "people praise you when you prosper." Perhaps we can also think about how to be more prosper, but Christians should have different values, because we clearly know that there's life after death.   We either have eternal life or suffer through eternal death. There's judgment after death, so we need to be responsible for our life. There's judgment after we die, but there's also reward. Christians should strive to win the reward that God prepared for us; even though we might encounter all kinds of setbacks and difficulties, but we must once again lift up our dangling arms and straighten our sore legs. Let us dash forward, because we know that God has prepared purpose and reward for our life that we must work hard to win. May God once again encourage us to follow Him closely in our daily life!   Pray with Pastor Tong          Dear Lord, may you help us to not look at people of the world or the circumstance around us, but solely focus on you. May you be the strength for our daily life. I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!