PSALM 14
For the choir director: A psalm of David.
Only fools say in their hearts,
“There is no God.”
They are corrupt, and their actions are evil;
not one of them does good!
The Lord looks down from heaven
on the entire human race;
he looks to see if anyone is truly wise,
if anyone seeks God.
But no, all have turned away;
all have become corrupt.
No one does good,
not a single one!
Will those who do evil never learn?
They eat up my people like bread
and wouldn’t think of praying to the Lord.
Terror will grip them,
for God is with those who obey him.
The wicked frustrate the plans of the oppressed,
but the Lord will protect his people.
Who will come from Mount Zion to rescue Israel?
When the Lord restores his people,
Jacob will shout with joy, and Israel will rejoice.
For the choir director: A psalm of David.
Only fools say in their hearts,
“There is no God.”
They are corrupt, and their actions are evil;
not one of them does good!
The Lord looks down from heaven
on the entire human race;
he looks to see if anyone is truly wise,
if anyone seeks God.
But no, all have turned away;
all have become corrupt.
No one does good,
not a single one!
Will those who do evil never learn?
They eat up my people like bread
and wouldn’t think of praying to the Lord.
Terror will grip them,
for God is with those who obey him.
The wicked frustrate the plans of the oppressed,
but the Lord will protect his people.
Who will come from Mount Zion to rescue Israel?
When the Lord restores his people,
Jacob will shout with joy, and Israel will rejoice.
It is good to be back in the office and online again after a few refreshing days away. Thanks to Mike for carrying on without me.
Fearless foolsI can remember when I was a child trying to outsmart my parents so I could get away with doing something they did not want me to do. We have all done it. We made arrangements with a friend to have them say we were at their house and then went somewhere else, or something like that. Our hope was that by covering our tracks we would avoid punishment.
We tried to cover our tracks because we knew there was a real person in the seat of authority that would bring down the strong arm of the law when they discovered our disobedience.
David looks out over humanity and even from his vantage point sees hordes of people blatantly doing evil with no fear of retribution. These people do not believe there is a God who looks down from heaven with power to judge. So they disregard His Word, and do what they want with no attempt to cover their tracks. In fact they are proud of their disobedience.
The fool is easily found in American culture. Driven by secular humanists who have embraced relativism and pluralism while disregarding absolute truth and the reality of God, Americans flaunt their sins with arrogance. The fools say in their hearts there is no God.
While it is easy to point the finger at secular society, I wonder how many times we who call ourselves Christians act as if God is not real. Do I proclaim God is real but live at times as if God is impotent? Do I accept his actuality while denying his capacity for action?
God who exists and acts in reality help me to not only confess your attributes but live in light of your reality each day. I do not want to be a fool that denies your existence by either my actions or words. I desire that all I do today would glorify your name. - Dan Jones
ConfessionWhat I know and what I feel are often at odds. For example, I know Psalms are poetry and cannot be read the same way one reads instructions like those found in Leviticus or Galatians. I cannot take poetry literally without abusing God’s choice to use poetic language to reveal his truth. In this case David’s words, “All have become corrupt” and “No one does good” are certainly poetic hyperbole.
And I know that David speaks about foreign leaders who, are not atheists but who worship a variety of false gods and attack Israel intending to oppress God’s people for their own gain.
Still I resonate with David’s charge against his enemies, “…all have turned away; all have become corrupt. No one does good, not a single one!” I am fully devoted to David’s God as he revealed himself in Jesus. But I am also one who is increasingly in tune with my own heart. I want absolutely no hint of turning away from God to haunt my heart. This is my commitment. But when I examine my thoughts and attitudes, I am (to borrow from Robert Robinson) “prone to wander from the God I love.”
And I have to confess the corruption of all my words and deeds. As much good as I am committed to accomplishing with both, there are always unintended consequences and unhealthy responses and reactions that infect the good I would do or speak. Pure goodness is my prayer and goal, but for now, I am very much a mixed bag.
Thank you for being a God of grace who provided a way out of just condemnation through Jesus! Still, forgive me when my words and deeds bring hurt and harm. And take me further into purity. By your grace, cleanse my heart and set aside my life for increasing good. - Mike Leamon
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