Two hundred and fifty thousand pounds!

Psalm 49

Ever since I can remember, I have always had vivid dreams.

The dreams come in many different genres, with horror ranking as my least favourite and, unfortunately, most frequent. While fast asleep, I’ve taught full Literacy lessons ready for OFSTED and convinced myself that my husband has stolen my jar of Nutella (I was so annoyed when I woke up)!

I’ll spare you a description of the nightmares.

While wide awake, my mind regularly wanders into scenarios that seem so real and alive that someone, usually a family member, has to snap me back to the here and now!

Anyway…that might be just me so… let’s move on…

I have a recurring dream where £250,000 lands in my bank account with no explanation!

In the dream, I open my banking app, and there it is.

I then contact the bank and ask them to clarify that it is not a mistake and that the money is genuinely mine.

They say yes and I then ask them to send me a letter to confirm that the money is mine and that I’m allowed to spend it. I’ve seen many examples of people who spent money that went into their account by accident and had to pay it all back. “There’s no way I’m falling for that,” I tell myself while fast asleep.

While waiting for the letter, I plan exactly what I would do with the money, and then…I wake up!

It’s the same dream every time.

I never get to the point where I spend the money…but I keep having the dream.

Now before you grab your dream interpretation book, it’s pretty clear that I have some issues with financial security and this dream is a glimpse of that (there I did the analysis for you). I’m sure I’m not alone in wanting to feel the security of knowing that things will be okay, especially in the challenging times we are all facing. If you’re feeling financially challenged at the moment and are concerned about the coming months, then I’m your hug-sending “it’ll be okay” friend today.

Psalm 49 is not that kind of friend!

Psalm 49 is the kind of friend who, with all the tough love they can muster, reminds you that even though money is important, it’s not the be-all and end-all. They’re the kind of friend that calls you out when they catch you wishing you had the same bank balance as (insert name here) or went on as many holidays as (insert name here). Psalm 49 is the kind of friend you’d probably avoid in the supermarket while muttering “it’s all right for them” under your breath.

Psalm 49 is the friend who decides to set to music, a message that points out that envying the rich will get us nowhere and having a hotel named after yourself isn’t all that.

(If you have a friend who does that then I'm intrigued to find out where you met them and hope they have lots of other redeeming qualities!)

I doubt you have a cross-stitch version of this psalm anywhere, so I’ve included it below, and if you click his name then David Suchet will read it to you!

(Try not to skip this bit even though it's a bit full on)

Psalm 49

For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.

1 Hear this, all you peoples; listen, all who live in this world, 2 both low and high, rich and poor alike: 3 My mouth will speak words of wisdom; the meditation of my heart will give you understanding. 4 I will turn my ear to a proverb; with the harp I will expound my riddle:

5 Why should I fear when evil days come, when wicked deceivers surround me— 6 those who trust in their wealth and boast of their great riches? 7 No one can redeem the life of another or give to God a ransom for them— 8 the ransom for a life is costly, no payment is ever enough— 9 so that they should live on forever and not see decay. 10 For all can see that the wise die, that the foolish and the senseless also perish, leaving their wealth to others. 11 Their tombs will remain their houses forever, their dwellings for endless generations, though they had named lands after themselves.

12 People, despite their wealth, do not endure; they are like the beasts that perish.

13 This is the fate of those who trust in themselves, and of their followers, who approve their sayings. 14 They are like sheep and are destined to die; death will be their shepherd (but the upright will prevail over them in the morning). Their forms will decay in the grave, far from their princely mansions. 15 But God will redeem me from the realm of the dead; he will surely take me to himself. 16 Do not be overawed when others grow rich, when the splendour of their houses increases; 17 for they will take nothing with them when they die, their splendour will not descend with them. 18 Though while they live they count themselves blessed— and people praise you when you prosper— 19 they will join those who have gone before them, who will never again see the light of life.

20 People who have wealth but lack understanding are like the beasts that perish.

It’s a cheery little psalm, isn’t it?

I think this psalm, as uncomfortable as it is, speaks to each of us in different ways. The opening verses tell us that this psalm is for everyone, whether we have money or not!

There is something here that God needs us to hear.

Once you’ve got past the “I tell it like it is” tone of our friend Psalm 49, then try and sit with it and ask God what he wants you to hear about your relationship with money.

For me, it’s verse 15…

But God will redeem me from the realm of the dead; he will surely take me to himself.

Psalm 49:15

I pray that the more I lean into this verse, the less I’ll dream the same dream!

Kay Moorby