Psalm 49 - A Psalm of Wisdom (Orientation)
by Pastor Paul Dugan
Try entering into prayer with this three-part rhythm:
Part 1
Become present to the presence of God:
Every morning I lay out the pieces of my life on your altar and watch for fire to descend. (Psalm 5:3 The Message).
Pause in silence before God. Practice breathing slowly and deeply. As you inhale, invite the Holy Spirit to fill every part of your being- your body, mind, imagination, affections and emotions. As you exhale, release any burdens you are carrying into this time of prayer. Repeat this breathing prayer until you have brought your whole self -‘as is’ -before the presence of God.
Optional prayer of approach:
“Father God, tune my ears to hear your voice above the noise and clamor; the busy chattering of the dead. Without you, our wisdom is folly; our knowledge is vain…’” (Sheltering Mercy, by Ryan Whitaker Smith and Dan Wilt: Psalm 49).
Part 2
Slowly read Psalm 49 (MSSG) out loud: (for an audio version click here)
1-2 Listen, everyone, listen—
earth-dwellers, don’t miss this.
All you haves
and have-nots,
All together now: listen.
3-4 I set plainspoken wisdom before you,
my heart-seasoned understandings of life.
I fine-tuned my ear to the sayings of the wise,
I solve life’s riddle with the help of a harp.
5-6 So why should I fear in bad times,
hemmed in by enemy malice,
Shoved around by bullies,
demeaned by the arrogant rich?
7-9 Really! There’s no such thing as self-rescue,
pulling yourself up by your bootstraps.
The cost of rescue is beyond our means,
and even then it doesn’t guarantee
Life forever, or insurance
against the Black Hole.
10-11 Anyone can see that the brightest and best die,
wiped out right along with fools and idiots.
They leave all their prowess behind,
move into their new home, The Coffin,
The cemetery their permanent address.
And to think they named counties after themselves!
12 We aren’t immortal. We don’t last long.
Like our dogs, we age and weaken. And die.
13-15 This is what happens to those who live for the moment,
who only look out for themselves:
Death herds them like sheep straight to hell;
they disappear down the gullet of the grave;
They waste away to nothing—
nothing left but a marker in a cemetery.
But me? God snatches me from the clutch of death,
he reaches down and grabs me.
16-19 So don’t be impressed with those who get rich
and pile up fame and fortune.
They can’t take it with them;
fame and fortune all get left behind.
Just when they think they’ve arrived
and folks praise them because they’ve made good,
They enter the family burial plot
where they’ll never see sunshine again.
20 We aren’t immortal. We don’t last long.
Like our dogs, we age and weaken. And die.
Part 3
Use your own words to pray Psalm 49 back to God:
How does this psalm challenge our culture’s vision of ‘success’? How does it challenge you?
Pray for wisdom to discern God’s vision for a life well-lived.
Complete these wisdom prayers…
"I lament the sorrow and pain in my life and world that has resulted from unwise choices... (my choices and the choices of others)
“I thank you God for giving us clear boundaries, for defining for us what is true and false, good and evil, wise and foolish. And thank you for giving us the freedom to choose the good. I bring to you the choices that are before me today… (ex, how I invest my time, thoughts, words, relationships, money, abilities, body, etc.)
The psalms were originally written as lyrics, as prayers set to music. Throughout the history of Israel and the church, the people of God have sung the psalms. Song invites us to internalize the Word of God with the whole self- body, mind, imagination, emotions and affections. Take time to listen to a version of Psalm 49 set to music. Try taking the psalm song with you into your day.
by Poor Bishop Hooper (2020). everypsalm.com