The first line of Psalm 14 is not a statement of theoretical atheism, that is, the conviction that no God exists at all (such a theory did not exist in the ancient world). Rather, it is an expression of what is referred to as practical atheism, a gesture of defiance; a practical denial of God’s willingness and ability to intervene. This is the greatest of all possible human offences. The greatest crime in the world is not a crime against humanity but a crime against God. More serious than practically denying human rights is denying the divine right of God to be our God. When God looks down from heaven on human beings, according to Psalm 14, what concerns him the most is that people do not understand that he is God and that no one seeks him. God is of course concerned with what people do to each other (vs.4). But this is the fruit of the root problem of broken relationship with God. Our society has a way of raising an outrage over certain heinous crimes, but there is a certain hypocrisy about this. For human moral failure is the result of a relational failure: the rejection of God as God. And we all are guilty of this. Worse even that theoretical atheism is knowing that there is a God and yet failing to trust and obey him. And the more you know of God, the more culpable you are for not trusting and obeying God. Your biggest problem at any given time is the extent to which your life conflicts with God. We all need God’s forgiveness and grace.
Reflect on your relationship with God
Read Psalm 14
