A Wounded World

OPENING PRAYER:

Holy Father, open my mind to think magnificently about you. I am awed by your great majesty.

READ: Psalm 14

For the director of music. Of David.

1 The fool[a] says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good.

2 The Lord looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. 3 All have 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 the Lord. 5 But there they are, overwhelmed with dread, for God is present in the company of the righteous. 6 You evildoers frustrate the plans of the poor, but the Lord is their refuge.

7 Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! When the Lord restores his people, let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!

Footnotes

[a] Psalm 14:1 The Hebrew words rendered fool in Psalms denote one who is morally deficient.

REFLECT:

‘...all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus’ (Romans 3:23,24, ESV). What does grace mean to you today?

Where does your heart hurt for the world? Does it pain you when people are not connected to God – for their own sake, for the sake of the world, and for God’s sake? This psalm is the lament of a community that is painfully aware of the disastrous outcomes when people walk away from God. The ‘fool’ (v 1) is someone who has no moral values or awareness of social obligations, and rejects wisdom. Words like ‘corrupt’ and ‘vile’ (v 1) are used to describe this destructive human experience (see also Romans 3:10–12).

So, if that is what life apart from God is like, what does this tell us about God’s character and how his presence in our lives changes things? In verse 2, we see God wanting to be in relationship with people, desiring people to seek after him. He is ‘with those who obey him’ (v 5b, NLT), and is described as a refuge (v 6) and a God who restores (v 7). Life with him gives rise to goodness, both within a person, and for communities and in the world.

APPLY:

‘Here in the shadows, here I will offer my praise.’ As you reflect on the ideas in this psalm, listen to the words of this song: ‘Weep with me’ (Rend Collective © 2018, Capitol).* *https://youtu.be/GAGqvq4N_Zq

CLOSING PRAYER:

As I read your Word, and release the Holy Spirit in my life, please Lord increase my faith and trust in you.

WORSHIP:

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