The fool says in his heart
“There is no God.”
They are corrupt, their deeds are vile;
there is no one who does good.
The LORD looks down from heaven
on all mankind
to see if there are any who understand,
any who seek God.
All have turned away, all have become corrupt;
there is no one who does good,
not even one.
Psalm 14:1-3
The words in this Psalm strongly resemble those describing sinful humanity in Romans 1 and 2, which we’ve been exploring over the last few weeks. The “fool” of this Psalm believes in his heart that there is no God… as Paul puts it in Romans 1, he “did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God”.
So, once again, we see a humanity which has turned its back on God, with all people devoted to the evil things they do and think. People who act and speak in wicked, corrupt ways; inventing ways of doing evil. All have turned away, all are corrupt, no one does any good.
How does this sit with you? Sometimes we can find ourselves thinking that maybe God is being a bit harsh; surely he just doesn’t even notice the good that we do! But this psalmist paints a picture of a starkly different reality. Our God, who sees everything, is looking down on all mankind… searching for someone, anyone, who does good. But out of all mankind that he so beautifully and lovingly crafted, he doesn’t find a single person.
Throughout the last few weeks, we’ve been walking through the shadows of a human race which has turned its back on their Creator. But it is out of the shadows of our own inner darkness that the light of Jesus Christ, and of his righteousness which is ours only through faith in him, can be seen in all its glorious brightness.
“That any of us is saved is owing to the wonderful truth that the death of Christ obtained the grace by which God conquered our hearts and caused us to love the One we once hated. Many are still learning not to be hostile to God. It is a good thing that he is gloriously patient.”
– John Piper “What? Me Hostile To God?” desiringgod.com
Grow Deeper
Read all of Psalm 14. What are your thoughts and reflections on this psalm? How do you think God feels here? Does this impact how you feel about what Jesus did on the cross?
Prayer
Heavenly Father,
You alone are holy, righteous, loving and full of grace. There is no darkness in you; only light. My Creator, I’m so sorry for all I’ve done and continue to do which is evil in your sight, and which grieves you deeply. Thank you so much for Jesus; your Son, and my Saviour. That through his death and resurrection, I am now pure, righteous, and pleasing to you. Help me to remember the frightening reality of where people are without you – please help me tell others about you today, for their salvation, and for your glory.
In Jesus’ name. Amen