Psalm 14 - Can't we do this another way?

Can't we do this another way?

Psalm 14:1 The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds; there is none who does good. 

2 The Lord looks down from heaven on the children of man, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God. 

3 They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one. 

4 Have they no knowledge, all the evildoers who eat up my people as they eat bread 

and do not call upon the Lord? 

5 There they are in great terror, for God is with the generation of the righteous. 

6 You would shame the plans of the poor, but the Lord is his refuge.

7 Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! 

When the Lord restores the fortunes of his people, let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad.

 

David calls the atheist a fool. You could see that as cruel. But I think David is just being realistic. The choice is simple, you believe there is a God, or you do not believe there is a God. I know some choose to be agnostic, they are still making up their minds on which to choose. Choosing is not easy, but there is plenty of evidence in creation and in living to help us make this decision. 

David says God is looking down upon the earth seeking for people who are seeking Him. So many, he goes on to say, have turned aside and become corrupt. No one does good. Just for clarification, David's definition of good and evil, if you look at all of his writings, is simple; if you do what God says, its good, if not it is evil. He is not making a profound judgment upon the world; he just sees those who seek after and follow God as good and everything else is evil. 

David's assessment of the people who choose evil over good brings him to the conclusion they are in great terror. Now, I know some atheists. They don't seem to be in great terror. Although, I have not talked to them during this current situation in the world. It has to seem terrifying to not have hope. To think that this virus will destroy much of mankind and bring down the whole economy of the world. What to do? What to do?

God is a refuge, a salvation, a place to go in a time of trouble and find rest for our souls and comfort for our thinking. Even Jesus, when He was in the garden of Gethsemane on the night of His trial and the day before His crucifixion, asked God to take the "cup" away. "I don't want to suffer," was His thinking. "Can't we do this another way?" was His question. But His resolve was more straightforward, "I do not want my will to prevail, I want Your will to dominate." What Jesus knew, at the most crucial time of His life, was the simple truth, there is a God and His best will prevail, no matter the circumstances or my perception of the storms I experience in life.

Let's look at it this way. When do I really have control over my life? Oh, I can make choices and I often do. Some turn out good and others not so good. I really cannot control the little things of my life much less the grand scheme of things in the world around me. I can make a list of what I want to do and have happen today, but only part of the list gets done; other things show up that I could not have predicted. Jesus once said, "Don't worry about tomorrow, today has enough worries of its own." How true!

One of King Solomon's proverbs says, "Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand." 

I might as well trust that what happens today is what is in the hands of the Lord. Peace, the opposite of anxiety, comes from realizing that God is in control. I just need to acknowledge His presence. I am not in control, and I don't need to be, because God is and I trust Him to make good decisions on my behalf, on behalf of all mankind. 

Years ago, my sister-in-law sent me a shirt that she had embroidered. It included a beautiful sunrise and included these words, "When your day is hemmed in prayer, it is less likely to unravel." 

You can choose to discount God, but I agree with David, that is foolish. Seek Him out in this time of need and ask Him to bring you the comfort and peace you need to calm your anxious thoughts. Then turn off the TV or the news for a while and enjoy the many blessings God has given you. 

God will restore the fortunes of our lives and we will again rejoice when this is all over. 

- Pastor Edd