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A Sad Psalm

By: Alan Harvey

Posted: July 30, 2019

Category: Daily Devotional

Psalm 14

“Fools say in their hearts, ‘There is no God.’” They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds; there is no one who does good.”

The Lord looks down from heaven on humankind to see if there are any who are wise, who seek after God.

They have all gone astray, they are all alike perverse; there is no one who does good, no, not one.

I usually try to view the local news at six o’clock and the national news at 6:30 p.m. There are many nights when I have switched channels only to find as bad or worse news reports. Sometimes the newscast has been so bad, I have resorted to turning the set off. There are the stories of violence within families. There are stories of people being cheated out of their savings. There are stories of child abuse or elder abuse. There are the stories of accidents and disasters. There are stories of tyrannical leaders who have little or no regard for their own people and stories of warmongering.

Aware of my own sins, I must agree with the Psalmist that “all have gone astray and that there is no one who does good, no, not one.” In this sad and painful Psalm, we can envision God with a tear-stained face and a broken heart as people deny His existence and how God longs to find at least one who is wise … and one who seeks after God.

God is with the righteous and God will deliver Israel and restore her fortunes. We long to be numbered among those and so while much of Psalm 14 is sad, it ends on a more cheerful note. If we long to be numbered among those delivered and restored, then there are some who are wise and who seek God, and that my fellow Christians is us! Thanks be to God!

Prayer

O Lord, we are sorry that we have saddened You. Over the generations so many have not sought wisdom and have not sought You. Forgive us and grant us peace. In Christ’s name, we pray. Amen.