Psalm 49:5,10,14-19 BSB (Berean Standard Bible)

5Why should I fear in times of trouble,
when wicked usurpers surround me?
10For it is clear that wise men die,
and the foolish and the senseless both perish
and leave their wealth to others.

14Like sheep they are destined for Sheol.
Death will be their shepherd.
The upright will rule them in the morning,
and their form will decay in Sheol,
far from their lofty abode.
15But God will redeem my life from Sheol,
for He will surely take me to Himself.

16Do not be afraid when a man grows rich,
when the splendor of his house increases.
17For when he dies, he will carry nothing away;
his abundance will not follow him down.
18Though in his lifetime he blesses his soul—
and men praise you when you prosper—
19he will join the generation of his fathers,
who will never see the light of day.

Out of The Heart

Not all rich people are bad and not all poor people are good. But riches can corrupt a human soul, yet so can lack of riches, because money is not the root of all evil. The love of money (making money your god) is. The human heart given over to the flesh, rich and poor alike, is the root of all evil, too. For we are all born into this world with sin natures, in the image of Adam, the first man God created, and the first man to sin against God. Since Adam sinned, all of us humans have been born with sin natures, bent toward sin.

“For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, and slander.” (Matthew 15:19 BSB)

“The good man brings good things out of the good treasure of his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil treasure of his heart. For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.” (Luke 6:45 BSB)

What is stored up in our hearts will overflow in our thoughts, attitudes, words, and behaviors. But all this must be interpreted in light of the teachings of Christ and of his New Testament apostles, and not according to the thinking and reasoning of humans, some or many of whom will twist the Scriptures to their advantage and will make a mockery of Jesus’ death and resurrection by their life choices. For Jesus died and was raised from the dead that we might die to sin and walk in obedience to his commands.

Wicked Usurpers Surround

So, what does it look like to be surrounded by wicked usurpers? It has to do with people who seize power and control over other people by force or by intimidation or by trickery. And in context these are people of enormous wealth and influence. And this brings to mind the wealthy and powerful of the world in our time who are indeed usurping authority over the nations of the world, one by one, in order to bring us all into a one world totalitarian regime of “the beast.” We should not fear them or what they will do to us.

But this seizure of power and authority and control is not happening only on a national or political level. This is taking place in the gatherings of the church (or the false church). So many gatherings of God’s people, the body of Christ, the church, have been turned into businesses being marketed to the people of the world. So they have altered “the church” to make it more attractive and inviting to the people of the world. And they have diluted the gospel of Christ to make it less offensive to the ungodly to please the flesh.

Our Response?

We are not to fear them or what they might do to us or say about us to others. We must commit our circumstances to the Lord and trust him with our lives. And despite their threats or what they might do to us we are to keep on obeying our Lord, doing his will, and serving his purposes for us. And we must be those who are exposing the fruitless deeds of darkness for what they are, and who are bringing the people into the light of the truth of God’s Word for their salvation from sin and for their eternal life with God, even if we are opposed, lied about, mistreated, and rejected by the many.

And not that this is comforting, but those who work evil among us and who do evil to the people of the world, because they can, because they have the money and/or the power and the backing to do so, when our Lord returns to judge the people of the world, they will perish in their sins without hope of salvation and eternal life with God, even if some of them professed faith in Jesus Christ with their lips. And that should make us sad that they chose their idols and their sinful pleasures and thus lost their lives for eternity.

[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; 2 Corinthians 5:10,15,21; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 10:19-39; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:1-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22]

“But God will redeem my life from Sheol, for He will surely take me to Himself.” Psalm 49:15 BSB

Why Should I Fear?
An Original Work / July 29, 2026
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah

Hymn lyrics by William Williams, pub.1745
tr. by Peter Williams, pub.1771
Music by John Hughes, 1907

Guide me, O Thou great Jehovah,
Pilgrim through this barren land.
I am weak, but Thou art mighty;
Hold me with Thy powerful hand.
Bread of Heaven, Bread of Heaven,
Feed me till I want no more (2X).

Open now the crystal fountain,
Whence the healing stream doth flow;
Let the fire and cloudy pillar
Lead me all my journey through.
Strong Deliverer, strong Deliverer,
Be Thou still my Strength and Shield (2X).

Lord, I trust Thy mighty power,
Wondrous are Thy works of old;
Thou deliver’st thine from thralldom,
Who for naught themselves had sold.
Thou didst conquer, Thou didst conquer
Sin and Satan and the grave (2X).

When I tread the verge of Jordan,
Bid my anxious fears subside;
Death of deaths, and hell’s destruction,
Land me safe on Canaan’s side.
Songs of praises, songs of praises,
I will ever give to Thee. Amen (2X).