Saint Thomas Aquinas taught that the four main idols are power, fame, pleasure, and wealth. An idol is anything that we trust apart from God. It is a created thing that we elevate above the Creator. They are good things that we turn into god things. They are the things we look to for our worth, security, and purpose. Idols always let us down. In Psalm 62, King David shows us why these idols can’t give us the stability that we crave:

Power is Shaky

David writes, “How long will you threaten a man? Will all of you attack as if he were a leaning wall or a tottering fence? They only plan to topple him from his high position” (vv. 3-4).

The imagery of a leaning wall, tottering fence, and being toppled paint the picture of something that is unstable. It doesn’t take much force to push over a leaning wall since gravity is working with you. King David would have known how precarious it is to be a leader. He worried about other nations who wanted to conquer Israel, and his own son attempted to usurp his throne. He saw how God ripped the kingdom away from King Saul. He knew better than most impermanence of power.

Consider US presidents. For a certain amount of time they are among the most powerful people in the world, but how long does it last? Presidents have died of illness (William Harrison died of pneumonia one month into his presidency). Nixon resigned in disgrace. Presidents can be impeached and removed from office. They can be assassinated. Indeed, many have served a full term or two, but after they must leave the White House and make room for the incoming president. Most return to a life of relative political obscurity. Maybe they make an appearance on a news network or campaign trail, but their political power is the same as any other citizen.

Power never lasts. We grow old and weak. We become forgetful. Someone younger, stronger, and more determined is constantly trying to take our position. Rival companies want to win over your existing customers and put you out of business. Death comes for us all.

In verse 11, David reminds us that “Power belongs to you, God.” Every person is dependent on God for their strength. He can give and take away at any time. Paul writes about worldly authorities, “There is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God” (Romans 13:1). God is sovereign over nature. He is sovereign over human institutions. He is sovereign over the spiritual realm. Human power is shaky, but God’s power is eternal and unfailing.

People are Duplicitous

David also knows better than to put too much stock people. He writes, “They take pleasure in lying; they bless with their mouths, but they curse inwardly” (v. 4).

After David returned victorious in battle, women danced and sang, “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands.” They greatly rejoiced when he became king. They celebrated his successes. But after a while they turned on him. His son Absalom “stole the hearts of the people of Israel.” They rebelled. They cursed him when he walked by. Their love turned to hatred.

The bible teaches that it is not good for us to be alone (Genesis 2:18). God created us to be in community. At birth we are completely dependent on others for survival. As we mature, others depend on us too. We are commanded to love our neighbor as ourselves (Luke 10:27). All people are made in the image of God and are worthy of dignity and respect. God values humans so highly that he entrusted the entire earth to us (Psalm 8). Love and acceptance is what our souls crave. But fame and approval are terrible gods.

People are fickle. We get bored easily and move on to the next thing. People are finite. We have limited time, money, energy, and mental capacities. People are flawed. We can be cruel, selfish, and deceitful, putting our wants before the needs of others. Despite this, people-pleasing remains a strong temptation. We crave acceptance. We want others to like us. We want someone to validate our existence.

David tells us how to break the chains of approval. “With you, Lord, is unfailing love” (Psalm 62:12). Every humans’ love will fail. They will fall short of what you want and need from them. Even if they loved you perfectly, one day they will die. God’s love is different. It lasts forever. He loved us so much that he sent Jesus to die on the cross for our sins. His love isn’t dependent on our righteousness, but on Christ’s perfect righteousness.

When we understand the love and acceptance that we have with God, the temptation to look for acceptance and worth in other people diminishes.

Life is Short

God created Adam and Eve with bodies that weren’t meant to die. However, when they ate the forbidden fruit, disease and death became a reality for us all (see Genesis 3). We exist in time, but were created for and long for eternity. Mathematically, there is no difference between 1 year and 100 years in light of eternity.

David writes, “Common people are only a vapor; important people, an illusion. Together on a scale, they weigh less than a vapor” (v. 9). Notice that death shows no favoritism— rich or poor, wise or foolish, righteous or wicked— death comes for us all. The Teacher in Ecclesiastes laments, “‘The fate of the fool will overtake me also. What then do I gain by being wise?’ For the wise, like the fool will not be long remembered; the days have already come when both have been forgotten. Like the fool, the wise too must die!”

Not only will we all die and be forgotten, there were also come a day when life doesn’t bring us the joy it once did. Ecclesiastes 12:1 states, “Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, ‘I find no pleasure in them.'”

Life and the pleasures of life are fleeting. They are a mist, a vapor that is here one minute and gone the next. But God is a rock. Strong. Solid. Unchanging. Immovable. If a strong wind is hitting you, you can find shelter behind a rock. You can’t build a house on air, but you can build it on a rock.

Wealth is Vain

Lastly, we will consider wealth and possessions. Jesus tells us that it is impossible to serve both God and money (Matthew 6:24) and that the deceitfulness of wealth keep us from living fruitful lives (Mark 4:19). Paul teaches, “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs” (1 Timothy 6:10). Money is not evil. We all need money to survive, and God has filled the world with good things to enjoy. However, wealth can lead us away from God.

David writes, “Place no trust in extortion or put vain hope in stolen goods. Though your riches increase, do not set your hearts on them” (v. 10). Extortion and stealing are ways in which people harm others to enrich themselves. Rather than using money to love and serve others, they use others to attain more wealth.

While earthly wealth is fleeting, God offers eternal rewards (v. 12). Jesus tells us to store up for ourselves treasures in heaven where they cannot be stolen or destroyed (Matthew 6:19-21). A missionary named Jim Elliot once said, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” Our wealth is only valuable to us on this earth. We have no use for it when we die. We have the opportunity to transform earthly treasure into heavenly treasure by stewarding it wisely and generously.

The Rock

King David shows us in Psalm 62 that power, people, wealth, and even our lives are fleeting. Everyone and everything in life will let you down because they were never meant to hold you up. God, on the other hand, is secure. He is unchanging. The only place where our souls can find rest. He is our rock, our salvation, our fortress and refuge. The classic hymn “My Hope is Built on Nothing Less” starts:

My hope is built on nothing less
than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
but wholly lean on Jesus’ name.

On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand:
all other ground is sinking sand;
all other ground is sinking sand.

David reminds us to “Trust in him at all times, people. For God is our refuge” (Psalm 62:8). Anything else in life will fail us, but God is always our refuge and firm foundation. Turn to him. Trust in him. Hope in him.