Psalm 14

Read Psalm 14

“The fool says in his heart, 'There is no God.'” God has always made a distinction between the wise and the foolish. In Psalm 14 David wrote about the incorrect thinking of the fool—the one who thought and lived as if there were no God.

In this song recorded for Israel to sing, David wrote not only about foolish thinking, but also about deeds that came from the confident assertion of God's non-existence. Those who lived by that wrong assumption were not only morally corrupt, but they also did abominable deeds with the confidence that there was no one in the heavens that they would need to answer to one day.

David longed for Israel to be better than this. He wanted them to know that the Lord was not only real, but that He was also very aware and engaged in the lives of people all over the world. The Lord was looking down from heaven at all the children of mankind. He looked for wisdom and an honest longing for God. What did He find? No one was doing good—not even one!

Yet God had chosen His people. The Lord noted that the rest of mankind would be happy to consume and destroy His elect as if they were just bread to satisfy their own hunger.

One day God would rescue those who worshiped Him. He would make a distinction in favor of the ones who called out to Him for help and against those who continued to ignore Him in stubborn rebellion. The Lord was committed to this plan of saving people who looked to Him as their refuge.

Throughout the centuries the humble have found the Lord's greatest salvation in the death and resurrection of the Messiah for them. Yet even after the good news of Jesus has been preached throughout the world, fools continue to deny the existence of the only God who could give them the help that every human being desperately requires.

Prayer from A Book of Prayers

Father, Your holy Son knows You and understands us. There is no corruption or hypocrisy in Him. He called upon Your Name and was heard. Therefore You are with the generation who takes refuge in Christ. Bring great salvation out of Zion for Your Israel throughout the world.