Psalm 49
Devotion by Tina Miller based on sermon by Rich Lanning
April 27, 2025
Gather
Some fun riddles for kids
Introduction
Read some riddles for your children to guess. They may even want to make up their own!
Pray
“Give us real knowledge of what we read. Show us not only how to understand it, but how to live it, so we might live in Spirit and in truth. Through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Origen)
Background
The Bible book of Psalms is a book of songs, the hymnal of Israel. The writer of Psalm 49 wrote a riddle into his song, but not a funny one. His riddle is really a question with an interesting answer.
Looking into the scripture passage
Read: Psalm 49:1-2
Ask: Who is the riddle and the song for? [everyone!] What are we supposed to do about this riddle?
[pay attention!]
Read: Psalm 49:4-6
Ask: What is the riddle? What question does the writer want answered?
He wants to know why he should be afraid in times of trouble.
Do you think he should be afraid? Why or why not?
It might be a little hard to understand what trouble the riddle-maker sees. Let’s read verse 6 again. What kind of people does he see around him? [rich people with a lot of things]. His heart is troubled by seeing all the things that others have.
The song writer goes on to give two answers to his riddle.
FIRST he looks at the people who are proud of all the things they have.
Read: Psalm 49:10:13a
Ask: What will happen to the rich people who foolishly trust in their wealth? Does their wealth help them then?
Read: verse 8
Ask: Can their money pay for their soul to live forever?
We are all going to die. Why is that?
Is there any way to pay for saving us from death?
The SECOND answer looks past people and riches to something else. It is found in verse 15.
Ask: Who paid the cost, the ransom, for saving us?
Seeing Jesus in the passage
Read: 1 Peter 1:18-19
Ask: How did God pay the ransom? Did he use money?
He paid the price with the precious blood of Christ. Is that something that will ever perish?
This is the most wonderful news! We receive this ransom when we turn from our sin in faith to Jesus and his payment for us. Then we are given eternal life that begins right now, and one day God will raise the bodies of everyone who has been ransomed to live forever in a city with Jesus where nothing ever breaks or gets lost or stolen, where no one cries or gets sick, and no one EVER dies.
Apply the passage
Activity 1: So let’s answer the question/ the riddle.
Do we need to fear in times of trouble? Why not?
Because God has paid for us to live with him forever, and that is a place of perfect joy and pleasure!
Activity 2: Do you ever look around at what other people have and wish that you had that?
Talk about this a little. Ask your children to fill in these blanks: “If I just had a little more __________________, I would feel ______________________.”
Can you ever really have enough things? Or will you always want something else?
Can those things give you life forever? Which is better: a new ________________________ or to live forever with Jesus in a new city where everything is more wonderful than you can imagine?
Spend time reading the last two chapters of Revelation. Let the kids draw pictures of what they imagine the new city to be like based on the words of the Lord to John.
Memorize
But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave. For He shall receive me.
Psalm 49:15 (NKJV)
Practice the verse
Write out the words to the verse on some play money. Mix them up and sort them back out into order.
Extra Stuff
Dig Deeper (for older kids and parents)
Discuss this quote from Jim Elliot’s journal:
“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”
Look at these verses to see what you cannot lose:
Romans 8:18, 35-39 1 Peter 1:3-5 John 14:1-3
Songs to sing
“Christ Our Hope in Life and Death” (Getty)
Books to read (these can be borrowed from the Kidstuff table in the church foyer)
God Rescues Me, by Kristen Wetherell (board book)
