A Poem Inspired by Psalm 4:2

O sons of earth, why chase the wind-blown mist,
Why spend your years on shadows soon undone?
Why crown with gold the things that cannot last,
And trust the fading glories of the sun?

The ages rise and pass before the Lord;
Their monuments grow silent in the dust.
The mighty towers fashioned by proud hands
Collapse at last beneath the weight of rust.

The kings who rode through triumph’s crowded gates,
Whose names once thundered through the courts of men,
Have vanished like the echoes of a bell
That fades beyond the distant hills again.

The merchant counts his treasures through the night,
The scholar seeks a place among the wise,
The warrior dreams of songs that shall endure,
Yet all these stars must sink from mortal skies.

How strange the heart that wanders from the Spring,
To drink from broken cisterns carved in stone;
How sad the soul that leaves the living Light
To walk through empty corridors alone.

For men have loved the fragrance of applause,
The fleeting smile bestowed by passing years.
They barter truth to purchase earthly praise
And hide their wounds behind deceptive cheers.

The mirror whispers promises of worth,
The marketplace proclaims a thousand lies,
And countless voices beckon from the dark,
Inviting hearts to trust their false replies.

Yet every idol fashioned by desire
Demands devotion while it cannot save.
It smiles with painted lips and empty eyes,
Then leads its followers toward the grave.

The golden calf still dances in the world,
Though clothed in garments suited for the age.
Its ancient song remains forever new,
Enchanting every generation’s stage.

Some worship wealth and build their private shrines,
Some kneel before ambition’s burning flame,
Some seek to gather influence and power,
Some live enslaved to reputation’s name.

Yet underneath the splendor and the noise,
A quiet emptiness begins to grow.
The soul was made for greater things than these,
A deeper joy than earthly streams can know.

The heart of man was fashioned by the Lord,
Its chambers shaped for fellowship divine.
No lesser treasure can fulfill its need;
No earthly vineyard bears that sacred vine.

And still the patient God of endless grace
Calls through the tumult of the crowded land.
His voice remains a lantern in the storm,
A gentle summons from His sovereign hand.

“Why love what cannot satisfy your thirst?
Why seek the lie and turn away from Me?
Why chase the desert’s ever-moving sands
When living waters flow abundantly?”

His words descend like rain on thirsty fields,
Like morning light upon a darkened sea.
They pierce the clouds of vanity and pride
And set imprisoned hearts at last set free.

For truth alone possesses lasting strength.
It neither fades nor bends before the years.
It stands unmoved when earthly kingdoms fall
And dries the fountain of our deepest fears.

The Lord Himself is beauty without end,
The source from whom all lesser beauties stream.
Compared with Him, the brightest earthly prize
Appears no more substantial than a dream.

His faithfulness outshines the morning star.
His mercy stretches farther than the west.
His wisdom towers over every age.
His presence grants the weary spirit rest.

What glory can the world provide that lasts?
What honor does not wither in the grave?
What treasure purchased by the hands of men
Can ransom souls or fallen sinners save?

The answer echoes through the sacred Word,
Through prophets, saints, and martyrs long ago:
The things of earth are passing like a mist,
But God remains when all else ceases so.

Therefore, let not your heart pursue the lie,
Nor squander precious years on empty fame.
Seek first the face of Him who made the stars
And calls His wandering children each by name.

Let truth become the compass of your soul,
And righteousness the pathway of your feet.
Let humble trust replace the thirst for praise,
And find in God a joy profound and sweet.

Then when the world presents its gilded dreams,
Its fleeting crowns and banners bright unfurled,
You shall possess a richer, greater prize:
The everlasting King above the world.

And when at last the final evening falls,
And mortal glory fades before His throne,
The soul that trusted in the Lord shall find
A kingdom, light, and love forever known.

Then every falsehood shall be swept away,
Every illusion shattered by His sight.
The shadows shall surrender to the dawn,
And darkness yield before eternal Light.

O sons of men, why love what cannot stay?
Why seek the lie that leaves the spirit bare?
Turn to the Lord while mercy’s door stands wide,
And find the lasting glory waiting there.

For all the praise of earth shall pass away,
Its banners torn, its monuments grown dim;
But blessed are the hearts that seek the Truth,
And find their highest joy alone in Him.