FOOLISH HEARTS
Opening Prayer
My God who made the world and everything in it, it amazes me that you are not only mindful of me, but you also love me and gave your Son for my salvation. Please accept my thanksgiving and praise.
Read PSALM 53
Psalm 53[a]
For the director of music. According to mahalath.[b] A maskil[c] of David.
1 The fool says in his heart,
“There is no God.”
They are corrupt, and their ways are vile;
there is no one who does good.
2 God looks down from heaven
on all mankind
to see if there are any who understand,
any who seek God.
3 Everyone has turned away, all have become corrupt;
there is no one who does good,
not even one.
4 Do all these evildoers know nothing?
They devour my people as though eating bread;
they never call on God.
5 But there they are, overwhelmed with dread,
where there was nothing to dread.
God scattered the bones of those who attacked you;
you put them to shame, for God despised them.
6 Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!
When God restores his people,
let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!
Footnotes
- Psalm 53:1 In Hebrew texts 53:1-6 is numbered 53:2-7.
- Psalm 53:1 Title: Probably a musical term
- Psalm 53:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
What can you thank God for today?I wonder at what point of his life David wrote this psalm. Perhaps in response to the foolish actions of people around him that we’ve seen through this series in 2 Samuel. Foolishness in the Old Testament doesn’t signify a low IQ. It depicts the person who thinks they know better than God and deliberately chooses to ignore his ways. It can also describe the person who lies to themself about the reality of God—telling themself that he doesn’t exist (v 1), though their conscience knows different.
Paul develops this theme in Romans and quotes today’s psalm in Romans 3, emphasizing that no one is righteous (v 1), no one has ever got it all together, no one ever has nor ever will be able to claim that they meet God’s standards, God’s law. Sometimes it seems people who do wrong in this life reap rewards, but God sees all (v 2), and it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God (compare Hebrews 10:31; v 5). The bad news for me is that I’m foolish. I frequently think I know better than God, seen in my thoughts and actions. But thank God for the good news! That salvation has come ‘out of Zion’ (v 6). Jesus not only saves me but is to me the wisdom and the power of God (see 1 Corinthians 1:24).
Apply
Thank Jesus once again that your salvation does not depend on your track record, but on his.
Closing prayer
Help me remember that you have given me everything I need to stand for you in this world.
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