Daily Devotion in Psalm 14

Artwork from a 1611 KJV.

Daily Nugget:

Although Psalm 14 and many other Psalms are prophetic about futuristic conditions, much of this Psalm pertains to people who have existed since man’s beginning. One type of people that have always been on Earth are those who deny the existence of God.

 

God’s Word makes it quite clear that those God-deniers are “fools.” He also warns that they are corrupt and certainly should not be trusted, even though they boast of their accomplishments. God sees their deeds as abominable, and there is nothing “good” about them.

 

A closer study shows that the atheist referred to here is a unique kind of fool.  In verse one,  the Greek word for “fool” is “nabal.”  Nabal was a man who married Abigail in I Samuel 25. Nabal was an unreasonable, rude (“churlish”) man (I Sam. 25:3). Noah Webster’s 1828 dictionary defines this type of fool with even stronger language. He declares such foolish people as “stupid, wicked, vile persons.”

 

There are many today who, when asked about their beliefs, quickly respond by saying they are “atheists.”  They openly state there is no God.  Those people get so upset when others talk about God.  If He does not exist, why are they getting mad?  The Easter Bunny is not real, yet I never heard one atheist insist that mention of the Bunny should be banned from schools, public forums, and even in one’s language.

 

As brilliant as they believe they are, God sees them as far from being intelligent. He hates their sin, and no one should give their folly any credence. Pray for those foolish people that they see themselves as God sees them — sinners (Romans 3:23).

 

Words to Understand:
Abominable: extremely hated
Corrupt: “depraved, tainted with wickedness” — Noah Webster, 1828
“no knowledge”: Learn by seeing, no common sense and knowledge to see what is around them
Zion: a mountain in Jerusalem

 

Today’s Reading:
Psalm 14
1 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.
 2 The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God.
 3 They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
 4 ¶ Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people as they eat bread, and call not upon the LORD.
 5 There were they in great fear: for God is in the generation of the righteous.
 6 Ye have shamed the counsel of the poor, because the LORD is his refuge.
 7 Oh that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion! when the LORD bringeth back the captivity of his people, Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad.