Psalm 14 (CB)

1 The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good. 2 The LORD looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. 3 All have turned away, all have become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one. 4 Do all these evildoers know nothing? They devour my people as though eating bread; they never call on the LORD. 5 But there they are, overwhelmed with dread, for God is present in the company of the righteous. 6 You evildoers frustrate the plans of the poor, but the LORD is their refuge. 7 Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! When the LORD restores his people, let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!

FOOLISHNESS. In the Bible foolishness means a destructive self-centeredness. Fools cannot bear to have anyone over them, and so they ignore God or deny he exists. Some of this rebellion exists in every heart. Every sin is a kind of practical atheism—it is acting as if God were not there. That also means that belief in God must be a gift. This psalm is quoted in Romans 3:11: “There is no one who seeks God.” Left to ourselves, we would never want to find God, much less know him. So take heart . . . If you want God, it is because he wants you to find him.

Prayer: Lord, I often struggle with doubts about you, and this psalm makes me realize they don’t all come from my intellect and mind—many come from my heart. Increase my faith, through your Word and Spirit, and through fellowship in the body of Christ. Amen.