Today's Video Devotion

Monday 9/18/23

Foolish

📺️ Psalm 14 🔊

¹The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.

 ²The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God.

 ³They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

 ⁴Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people as they eat bread, and call not upon the LORD.

 ⁵There were they in great fear: for God is in the generation of the righteous.

 ⁶Ye have shamed the counsel of the poor, because the LORD is his refuge.

 ⁷Oh 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.

Written By: God through Inspiration

Penned By: David, Asaph, Solomon, Heman, Ethan, Moses, and the Sons of Korah

Date Penned: (1440-586 BC)

Overview: Poetry for the Expression of Praise and Worship to God (c 1-150)

Theme: The First Book of Psalms (c 1-41)

Message: Only a Fool Denies God (v 1-7)

Psalms 14 Commentary

(14:1-3) A Fool - A fool is not someone who is stupid and uneducated, but rather a person who rejects God. By rejecting God, the fool rejects the one who made the moral and spiritual laws that make life just and good. A fool is indeed corrupt and evil because to deny God's existence allows wickedness to prevail. The apostle Paul quotes these verses in Romans 3:10-12 as he mourns the lack of single-heartedness toward God and thus the rampant spread of evil. The wise, on the other hand, not only believe there is a God but also strive to please him. To believe there is a God but refuse to please him is another way of being foolish. Don't be a fool of either sort.

(14:3-4) Following the Lord - David applies these observations to his enemies, who are guilty of oppressing his people: "They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one." By contrast, David said concerning himself, "Thou hast tried me, and shalt find nothing" (17:3). There is a clear distinction between those who worship God and those who refuse to worship him. David worshiped God, and under his leadership the Israelites obeyed God and prospered. Several hundred years later, however, Israel had forgotten 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 (Isaiah 53:6). 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.

(14:3) God is Perfect - No one but God is perfect; all of us stand guilty before him (see Romans 3:23) and need his forgiveness. No matter how well we live or how much we achieve compared to others, no one can boast of his or her goodness when compared to God's standard. God not only expects us to obey his laws but also wants us to love him with all our hearts. Only Jesus Christ has done that perfectly. Because we all fall short of God's standard, we must turn to Christ to save us (Romans 10:9-11). Have you asked him to save you?

(14:5) David Reassures Those Who Seek the Lord - David first condemned the foolish and rebellious (14:1-4). Here he gives reassurance to those who seek God. If God is "in the generation of the righteous," then those who attack God's followers may be attacking God himself. To attack God is utterly futile (see 2:4-5, 10-12). Thus, while we may feel we are losing the battle, we can be absolutely sure that our ultimate victory is in God.

Each day we walk through the Bible chapter by chapter, making application of our text to help us grow in the Lord. Many applications can be made from each day's text. Today we continue in the Book of Psalms with Chapter 14. In our text today, we see a theme of how only a fool denies God. A true fool believes his own misguided thoughts as he denies the obvious evidence of the truth. In making applications, we see that today many are acting the fool. Some deny God when the evidence is overwhelming that evolution has no merit. In contrast, others deny Christ when faced with the convicting power of the Holy Spirit. Even Christians act foolish, thinking that their actions will have no consequences. We truly live in a foolish time where no one fears God when they have seen Him work throughout history. How about you? Do you tend to be foolish regarding evidence of who God is in your life? Let us learn from our Psalm and text today to be reminded not to be foolish when it comes to obeying the Word of God.