When Everything Else Fails
Jesus Christ Is the One Foundation That Will Not Leave You
There are a lot of things that can make life feel secure.
Having good friends can make you feel like you belong.
Doing well in school, sports, work, or something you care about can give you confidence.
Money can make life easier. New clothes, a new phone, or something you have wanted for a long time can be exciting. Attention from other people can make you feel noticed and important.
None of those things are necessarily bad.
The problem is that none of them were ever meant to carry the full weight of your happiness, identity, or hope.
Psalm 49 talks about people who trusted in their wealth and “boast themselves in the multitude of their riches.”
Then the psalmist makes an important point:
None of those things can redeem us.
Money can solve some problems, but not every problem.
A friend can stand beside you, but there are places they cannot go for you.
Popularity can make you feel important for a while, but attention changes quickly.
Something brand new eventually becomes old.
An accomplishment that once seemed like everything eventually becomes something you barely think about.
Even the people we love most cannot stay with us forever.
Everything in mortality eventually reaches the limit of what it can do.
That is why Psalm 49:15 is so powerful:
“But God will redeem my soul.”
Jesus Christ is different from everything else we rely on.
He is not temporary.
He does not become outdated.
He does not lose interest in you when someone more interesting comes along.
He does not disappear when life gets difficult.
And most importantly, He can do something no amount of money, success, popularity, or human effort can ever do.
He can redeem you.
There will eventually be problems in your life that cannot be solved by having more money, being more popular, working harder, or getting someone else to approve of you.
Sin is one of them.
Death is another.
No matter how successful someone becomes, none of us can erase our own sins or overcome death by ourselves.
That is why we need a Savior.
Psalm 62 describes God as:
“My rock and my salvation.”
“The rock of my strength.”
“My refuge.”
A rock does not shift every time circumstances change.
That is what Jesus Christ can become in your life.
Friends may change. Plans may fall apart. Something you counted on may disappoint you. You may lose something you thought you needed in order to be happy.
But none of those changes alter who Jesus Christ is.
He still loves you.
His Atonement still has power.
His promises are still true.
His Resurrection still guarantees that death will not have the final word.
And His grace is still available when you discover that you cannot do everything on your own.
Following Jesus Christ does not mean you stop caring about friends, goals, work, money, or the things you enjoy.
It means you stop asking those things to give you what only He can give.
You can enjoy temporary blessings without building your life on them.
Your deepest foundation can be somewhere stronger.
Scripture
“They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches;
“None of them can by any means redeem his brother. …
“But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave.”
—Psalm 49:6–7, 15
Reflection
What are you most tempted to rely on for happiness, confidence, or a sense of worth?
How would your life be different if your deepest security came from Jesus Christ instead?
Today’s Challenge
Pay attention today to one thing you are tempted to depend on too much—someone’s approval, your appearance, a possession, an accomplishment, money, popularity, or something else.
Then remind yourself:
This can be a blessing in my life, but it cannot be my foundation.
Take a few minutes to pray and tell Jesus Christ what you are worried about, what you are trying to control, or what you are afraid of losing.
Choose to place a little more of your trust in Him.
Christ-Centered Thought
Eventually, everything mortal reaches its limit.
There are things your friends cannot fix.
There are things money cannot buy.
There are mistakes you cannot erase by yourself.
And there is one great enemy—death—that no human being can defeat on their own.
That is why Jesus Christ matters so much.
He is not simply another helpful part of your life.
He is your Redeemer.
When everything else reaches the end of what it can do, He does not.
You can build your life on Him.
For more weekly devotionals and complete Come Follow Me resources designed specifically for teens, visit:
