Jumping to conclusions can be dangerous exercise. If you land on the wrong assumption, it can be extremely hazardous to your health. For example, "The fool has said in his heart, 'There is no God.' " (Psalm 14.1) How many people are willing to risk the hope of immortality in the age to come on that faulty assumption? Plenty of people that you and I know and see every day.
Perhaps we aren't guilty of denying the existence of God, but our human inclination is to live as though He did not exist: "The LORD has looked down from heaven upon the sons of men To see if there are any who understand, Who seek after God. They have all turned aside, together they have become corrupt; There is no one who does good, not even one." (Psalm 14.2-3) The Psalmist doesn't cut any of us any slack! Fortunately, this commentary on humanity isn't the final word.
The apostle Paul would later quote Psalm 14.1-3 in Romans 3.10-12 and conclude, "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3.23). Having been beaten down by the reality of our human condition, he would elevate us with this great hope: "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6.23) We've been liberated from our deserved "paycheck" by God's free and gracious gift.
The greatest sin must surely be that of ingratitude. To take God's grace and blessings for granted is to live as though He - and His blessings - did not exist. To wallow in misery over that which is unfair or wrong is to live in denial of that which is so abundantly good. Even worse, to live an ungrateful and unproductive life is to deny the joy and power that God's Holy Spirit can bring. Such a lifestyle provides a witness to others that denies the existence of God, rather than testifying to His reality.
I know people who keep a "gratitude journal" - a daily record of specific blessings. Whether written or mental, it is a valuable exercise to carefully note God's tangible blessings that lend proof to His existence and reality. From these, joy and a deep desire to live for and serve Him through His Son, Jesus, springs up.
"God is with the righteous generation." (Psalm 14.5) May we yearn for and desire Him such that He considers us to be that righteous generation He favors.
Steve
©Steve Taylor, 2013
Perhaps we aren't guilty of denying the existence of God, but our human inclination is to live as though He did not exist: "The LORD has looked down from heaven upon the sons of men To see if there are any who understand, Who seek after God. They have all turned aside, together they have become corrupt; There is no one who does good, not even one." (Psalm 14.2-3) The Psalmist doesn't cut any of us any slack! Fortunately, this commentary on humanity isn't the final word.
The apostle Paul would later quote Psalm 14.1-3 in Romans 3.10-12 and conclude, "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3.23). Having been beaten down by the reality of our human condition, he would elevate us with this great hope: "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6.23) We've been liberated from our deserved "paycheck" by God's free and gracious gift.
The greatest sin must surely be that of ingratitude. To take God's grace and blessings for granted is to live as though He - and His blessings - did not exist. To wallow in misery over that which is unfair or wrong is to live in denial of that which is so abundantly good. Even worse, to live an ungrateful and unproductive life is to deny the joy and power that God's Holy Spirit can bring. Such a lifestyle provides a witness to others that denies the existence of God, rather than testifying to His reality.
I know people who keep a "gratitude journal" - a daily record of specific blessings. Whether written or mental, it is a valuable exercise to carefully note God's tangible blessings that lend proof to His existence and reality. From these, joy and a deep desire to live for and serve Him through His Son, Jesus, springs up.
"God is with the righteous generation." (Psalm 14.5) May we yearn for and desire Him such that He considers us to be that righteous generation He favors.
Steve
©Steve Taylor, 2013
posted by steve @ 7:38 AM
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