Psalm 14

Fools.  Corruption.  Practical atheism.

David seems to be looking around him at the state of affairs of his family (perhaps), his people, and the world as he knew it at the time, and sees that things just aren't right.

Fools say in their hearts, "There is no God."   I know that I react very intensely to anyone who says that.   Makes me want to duck under a table to avoid immediate judgement on them that just might spill over on me!   Actually, I have heard that very few times in my life.   It is a very bold thing to state that there is no God.

But what about practical atheism?   Those who "would not assert the impossibility of God's existence (yet) still live as though He were not." (note from the study notes in my NKJV).  We are surrounded by these folks.Reference Ecclesiastes 2:14:  "The wise man's eyes are in his head, but the fool walks in darkness.  Yet I myself perceived that the same event happens to them all." Study notes refer to this as being oblivious to reality.    Yet do we react to their form of declaration of no God as violently?   Usually not, I think.

Let's go a step further.......do I ever live like that?     I hang my head at the years of life that were just like that for me.

David goes on to evaluate life around him......"there is none who does good.  No not one.".

I am reminded of Romans 3:23. "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God."

Yet further.....I was reminded of Romans chapter one.  We are told that all mankind does indeed know about God through His revelation of Himself and His attributes in creation.  No human will be without excuse.  However, we have not honored Him or given thanks.  Our foolish hearts are darkened because we refuse to acknowledge Him

A note in the Reformation Study Bible stood out to me:  ".......They smother and quench, as far as they can, the awareness that general revelation provides of the transcendent Judge and Creator, and they transfer the ineradicable sense of deity to unworthy objects.  This in turn leads to drastic moral decline and misery...."

Is this what David was reacting to?

In verse 4 he states that evil becomes so commonplace and easy that it is like eating.  And it will draw us in if we are not careful.  It will eat us up!

But, again,  there is hope.   The wicked, who live either denying God outright or live as if He doesn't exist, live with fear.....of failure; of judgement, really, because they know deep in their souls that it is coming; of their own means becoming sparse or corrupt themselves, etc, etc, They fear because God's reality and nature are revealed to them in creation, and they know, deep down that judgement is coming. They fear their cover being blown.So their talk is big.  They shame the counsel of the poor (spiritually speaking, I believe, as in the beatitude, "blessed are the poor in spirit....").

The godly one puts his trust in the Lord and takes refuge in Him. And the fears really vanish.  Yes, we will deal with momentary fear about various issues.  But the constant, nagging fear that drives the wicked will not assail the righteous.....for we know our Redeemer lives, and is our shield and protector, a refuge in times of trouble.

How we long, still, to see salvation from the evil of the world around us!  I want to ask, at times, with David in Psalm 13, "How long?"   Yet what a blessed comfort to know that He is patient, and that He is building His kingdom, and the gates of hell cannot stand against it!    All He has said, He will do.

Father help me to never, ever, live like the practical atheist.   Help me to live in such a way that is winsome and pleasant to the ungodly around me, and to know Your pleasure.  Teach me when I fall back into lax ways that stem from the sin that I am born with, that I struggle with every day.  And thank You, Thank You!  for the revelation of Yourself through creation and Your Word!