Trivia:

Well, welcome to a brand new week. The weather is cooling down in the evening so that is a great relief.

Last week I asked the question of which Bush signed the American Disabilities Act into law? It was George H. W. Bush the father who did that. He served in active duty in WW2 as an naval aviator.

Believe it or not they were the second father son team of presidents. John Adam's and John Quincy Adams were the first father son duo.

Which is NOT one of the 3 branches of the U.S. government? Judicial; Executive; Legislative; Military, make your guess.

Challenge:

Psalm 49:1-9 "Listen to this, all you people! Pay attention, everyone in the world! 2 High and low, rich and poor--listen! 3 For my words are wise, and my thoughts are filled with insight. 4 I listen carefully to many proverbs and solve many riddles with inspiration from a harp. 5 Why should I fear when trouble comes, when enemies surround me? 6 They trust in wealth and boast of great riches. 7 Yet they cannot redeem themselves from death by paying a ransom to God. 8 Redemption does not come so easily, for no one can ever pay enough 9 to live forever and never see the grave."

Now the first nugget of truth left to us here is that these messages have been layed out here for everyone, verse 1,2. "Pay attention, everyone" . Verse 2 carefully clarifies who is everyone, Whether your highly important (VIP) or whether you are the lowest slave. Whether you are independently wealthy or the poorest church mouse. "Listen"

Then the Psalmist goes on to define the qualities found in wisdom in verse 3,4. Wise (All knowing); insightful (understanding) practical; proverbial (parable, guided by reason), and inspirational (lead to excitement and illumination).

Next in verse 5-7 reminds us that trouble, or any human challenge, or money, or even long term investments shouldn't cause us to feel confident in life.

Finally verse 8,9 remind us of where our redemption, value in life comes from. Impetuous Peter reminds us of where our confidence and redemption comes from in 1 Peter 1:18,19. "For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And it was not paid with mere gold or silver, which lose their value. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. ... You were cleansed from your sins when you obeyed the truth."

Verse 5 reminds us of this ultimate eternal hope. "Why should I fear" and then verse 15 answered this question, "But as for me, God will redeem my life."

SO OUR LORD SAYS GO WITH ME for He holds the key to our present and eternal hope. This passage reminds me of my mothers last words to my dad which were, "Honey, let me go to my Savior". She lay on the ground having collapsed from a thrown blood clot, he picked her up into his arms, and began calling 911 her pleading eyes and these words were here testimony of our hope in our God.

We are to go forward with this very same mission, "Go forward in our hope of salvation". Each move that we make should speak to our world of the confidence and purpose to bring everyone we touch to the place that verse 15 says "He will snatch me from the power of the grave. So don't be dismayed".

Uncertainty and hardship should never overwhelm us, but rather the confidence that our next step draws us closer to our Savior and His purposes for our future days.

My friends when you feel overwhelmed go to You Tube and listen to the song "It will be worth it all" sung by the Browns.