The author of Psalm 14 is David. Only the fool denies God. How foolish it must seem to God when people say there is no God.
"All have turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one." ~Psalm 14:3
No one but God is perfect; all of us stand guilty before him and need his forgiveness. No matter how well we perform or how much we achieve compared to others, none of us can boast of his or her goodness when compared to God's standard. God not only expects us to obey his guidelines, but he wants us to love him with all our heart. No one except Jesus Christ has done that perfectly. Because we all fall short we must turn to Christ to save us. Have you asked him to save you?
"Will evildoers never learn - those who devour my people as men eat bread and who do not call on the Lord?" ~Psalm 14:4
David applies observations in verse 4 when he says the "evildoers devour my people as men eat bread. They have together become corrupt, there is no one who does good, not even one". By contrast, David said, "Though you probe my heart you will find nothing". There is a clear distinction between those who worship God and those who refuse to worship him. David worshiped God, and under his leadership Israel obeyed God and prospered. Several hundred years later, however, Israel forgot God, and it became difficult to distinguish between God's followers and those who worshiped idols. When Isaiah called Israel to repentance, he, like David spoke of people who had gone astray. But Isaiah was talking about the Israelites themselves. Paul quoted Psalm 14 in Romans 3:10-12. He made the image of straying sheep even more general, referring to all people. The whole human race - Jew and Gentile alike - has turned away from God.
"There they are, overwhelmed with dread, for God is present in the company of the righteous," ~ Psalm 14:5
If God is "in the company of the righteous," then those who attack God's followers may be attacking God. To attack God is utterly futile. Thus, while we may feel we are losing the battle, there can be absolutely no doubt that our ultimate victory is in God.
Psalm 14 - New International Version
ReplyDelete1 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!