“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. God looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. Everyone has turned away, all have become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one” (Psalm 53:1-3).

This indictment against the human race and each of us individually is pretty hard for our human natures to swallow. All human hearts are curved away from God rather than toward him. We give ourselves and our interests the place of God in our lives. 

But through God’s goodness and love, we are changed creatures, capable of showing love for God through loving action toward God and each other. But now that we’ve been brought to faith, we might ask, “How does this psalm speak to me?” 

Perhaps we claim faith in God but tend to live as what has been described as “functional atheists.” We speak the words of faith, but our daily lives demonstrate we actually believe in and depend on ourselves. With this attitude, we are fools, saying to God, “I don’t believe you exist in any way that’s meaningful for how I choose to operate.”

This thought pattern does not surprise God. Our heavenly Father knows our weaknesses and yet loves us with an everlasting love. He continually calls to us to acknowledge him and live in his wisdom. May our hearts and ears be open to hear him and respond!