Psalm 14: 1-7
“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. Do
all these evildoers know nothing? They devour my people as though eating
bread; they never call on the Lord. But there
they are, overwhelmed with dread, for God is present in the company of the
righteous. You evildoers frustrate the plans of the
poor, but the Lord is their refuge. Oh, that
salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! When
the Lord restores his people, let Jacob rejoice, and Israel be
glad!”
Before you dismiss this Psalm as talking to someone
other than you for you are a believer in God, the word fool is used as a person
who is morally deficient. As you think on this recall, Jesus’ words on
what adultery is in Matthew 5:27-28, “You have heard that it was said,
Do not commit adultery. But I tell you, everyone who
looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his
heart.” Are
do you recall the words of the rich young man who came to Jesus and called Him
a good teacher? What was Jesus reply; why do you call me good, for only
God is good? Now maybe it is time to go back to Psalm 14 and look at it
in the light of what Jesus said.
This morning before writing on this Psalm, I looked
at page 100 in “The Valley of Vision,” a Puritan prayer and it was titled
Freedom let me share a few lines in the prayer. “O Holy Father, thou hast freely
given thy Son, O Divine Son, thou has freely paid my debt, O Eternal Spirit,
thou hast freely bid me come, O Triune God, thou dost freely grace me with
salvation.
Prayers and tears could not suffice to pardon my
sins, nor anything less than atoning blood, but my believing is my receiving,
for a thankful acceptance is no paying of the debt. What didst thou see
in me?”
The gift and the cost of that gift are beyond my
understanding, but Christ who lives in me desires to proclaim what freedom I
have in Christ, and how His blood has covered all my many sins. If you
are buying into the deception Channel, I call it Channel One; you will not look
at the Psalm above that was for other people in the old days, long ago.
Or you will be very religious and work hard to pay God back for His goodness to
you, but you will not by faith receive the free gift of God’s only Son.
All who by faith that God has given them and has
received the gift of salvation must see that Salvation proclaimed to all who
will listen.
From the Back Porch,
Bob Rice
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