“For when he dies he will carry nothing away; his glory will not go down after him.” (Psalm 49:17)

This verse is all about being jealous of those who are well off in this world and whose lives and properties seem all glorious. The psalmist writes to rich and poor, the low and the high with a warning. That warning is that all of them will die and none of them will leave this world with possessions. The riches of the wealthy and their “things” will not go with them into the grave.

“Man in his pomp will not remain,” is verse 12. No boasting of wealth or fame will add a day to one’s life, and where the dead go, they will be as they were before birth. We come into the world with nothing and leave with nothing. Wisdom, riches, and power will stay when we go. Regardless of what is above the ground, mankind is the same below the dirt.

No need to be envious of others. No need to try to emulate them. Money can’t buy happiness nor can the things money can buy produce lasting happiness. In truth, many say the opposite is the case. The more man has, the more he must worry about it. Those who trust in God are told not to worry but to let God take care of them.

Buried, cremated, or taken to heaven alive, nothing goes; only the spirit makes the journey.

Task for Today: Are you rich? Use it now it won’t go with you. Are you wise? Use it now. It won’t go with you. To be sure, you should be storing up spiritual treasure. You should be growing your inner soul; it’s the only thing winging it to heaven.