Some passages in scripture are very frightening because of man’s disinterest in God, yet God's strong interest in man is clearly stated. When God created man, He said, "Very good!" There was a creature of His making capable of loving God with all his heart, sharing rational thoughts with God in his mind, and choosing to do right without being forced. And then - man chose sin. We should be extremely thankful that God didn't abandon us but instead chose another creature of His making, endowing it with intelligence, emotions, and the ability to make rational choices on its own.
With eyes that peer into the "thoughts and intents" of man's heart, the Lord examined every person and found "none that doeth good." Among these people, some, despite seeing evidence of God everywhere they looked, declared in their hearts, "No God for me." The fool in this statement is not someone lacking rational thought or intelligence. Instead, it’s an ordinary person essentially saying, "I do not want God in my life. I don’t want Him interfering with what I do or want to do." So, in a practical sense, rather than a philosophical one, he rejects his Creator from having a place in his life.
How abominable is that! This is open defiance against God. This is practical atheism. This person is an atheist in practice, not in understanding. This is not an uninstructed child but a willful adult who is capable of making wise or foolish decisions, including the most foolish of all. This is open opposition against God from the depths of a wicked heart. No wonder the blazing eyes of God's holiness resemble a fiery flame aimed at us. We cannot escape the consequences of sin or the moral standards that a righteous God expects of us. David did not expect to find people who sought God because there was none. How wonderful it is that He sought and found us by His amazing grace!
It's true that no one in all of humanity is perfect except our Lord Jesus Christ, who was "found in fashion as a man." It is undeniably true that every person born in sin needs forgiveness for their sins. We cannot attain holiness because of our sinful nature, no matter how good, religious, or moral we try to be. God's standards are set; "We have all sinned and come short of the glory of God." Then, in the greatest act of divine grace, our Lord Jesus Christ, "Though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye through His poverty might be rich."
David aimed to see humanity as the Lord does, and not only have people turned away from "the paths of righteousness," but they have also chosen to practice sin and ignore what is pleasing in His sight. One step down leads to another, causing people to lose their sense of moral responsibility. They devour those who block their way, like a flesh-eater hunts its prey. They never acknowledge the Lord in anything, even though everything good they receive comes from Him. Practical atheism opens the door to any perversions one may want because, to them, there are no lasting consequences to their evil. Likely, if we could see beyond their outward bravado, we would notice that inside, there is "great fear," especially when it comes time to die. The lifestyle and faith of believers are clearly very different from theirs, and as they watch the child of God leave their body, they wonder what it will be like when they leave theirs.
Those who are humble in spirit and perhaps lacking materially warn neighbors, friends, and family members about the folly they are involved in and the foolishness of their unbelief. This is what we do when we present the Gospel. However, most people ignore the message of the Gospel because they find it irrelevant to their lives. They reject the Bible as the authoritative word of God, through which genuine faith comes to us. "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." When we believe what the Bible says is true, then we are ready and willing to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ to be saved from our sins.
However, we who know the Lord should not despair because the Lord is always the same. He does not change. He is our "refuge and strength." Even so, we cannot help but pray for such lost souls to be saved, even as unbelieving Israel will ultimately be saved. There will be days of anxiety and times of urgent prayer for the lost because the spread of atheism and agnosticism has reached even children in early grades at school. Teachers with the agenda of "No God for me" have access to the minds of our children for six hours a day, five days a week, and they use those hours to undermine the faith of parents. Then, in the universities of our country, professors, counselors, and leaders of academia openly and deliberately seek to remove from students’ minds the truth regarding God, faith, and the Bible, replacing it with faith in unproven science, untested theories, and rejection of all that can be scrutinized as proof of a Supreme Being.
Despite all that is happening in this strange and ungodly world, believers in Christ who know the Lord and whose faith is in Him who never changes, we eagerly await the return of our Lord. We see through the eyes of faith the day when He keeps His promise to return for those who have trusted Him personally. Then will come the visible return of our Lord Jesus Christ to earth, and Israel will rejoice and be glad. The bride of the Lamb will share in close fellowship with all those in the kingdom of God, enjoying the joys of righteousness and peace that are missing today.
PSALM 14. The fool’s creed. Only a fool denies that there is a God. David starts with the fool's belief and then discusses the nature of all people. The fool doesn't want there to be a God, so he denies God's existence. v. 1-3. The fool claims omniscience by essentially saying, “I know everything. God could not exist beyond my knowledge.” The second part of this attitude is that he is claiming, in essence, omniscience; “It is not possible that God could exist in any part of the universe without my knowing it. Therefore, I am in all places at once.” This position ignores the marvels of God's creation: the greatness of the universe, the precise movement of planets, Earth’s suitability to sustain life, the amazing human body, the complexity of the brain, and the properties of water and soil. In verse 3, all stand guilty before God [Rom.3:23] and need His forgiveness. No one can boast of our goodness compared to God’s standard. God expects us to obey His guidelines and love Him with all our hearts. Only Lord Jesus has ever done that perfectly. v. 4-7. David shows his enemies “eat up my people...”; they have become completely corrupt. Their ignorance shows in how they treat God’s people. If they understood both God's goodness and severity, they would call on Him. There is a clear difference between those who worship God and those who do not. Those who attack God’s people are attacking God, which is totally pointless. When the Lord defends the innocent, the unrighteous will be afraid. They mocked the poor for their simple faith, but they will realize that God is the refuge for His people. When Messiah comes out of Zion to save His people, Israel’s joy will be endless. They will be rescued from among the nations that deny God. In Romans 3:10-12, Paul uses the same image to describe the whole human race. Humanity has turned away from God, and only Christ’s return will set things right.