"The fools says in his heart there is no God"... maybe I'm the fool!

Psalm 53 hit me in an interesting way yesterday early morning. The text starts right out, "The fool has said in his heart, 'There is no God.'" David then goes on to say that there is in fact no one who does good, that everyone has turned aside and is corrupt, and then repeats again, "there is no one who does good, not even one!"

David moves on from there to wicked eat of the "bread of my people" and that "they have not called upon God." he also says "they were in great fear where no fear had been."

He finished up the Psalm, "Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion!"

It's easy for those who believe in God (of any sort really) to point fingers at those who don't and say, "They're fools!" In truth all of creation testifies to design rather than randomness, from the Universe itself to the smallest molecular structures. Paul says that no one has excuse, God has testified to all of our hearts that "He is" through all that we see. What I think is interesting, and what struck me afresh this week is how often we who believe in God are functional atheists. That is to say, we affirm that God is, and that He is at work, and intensely interested in every detail of our lives (unless we are deists of course), but then we don't rely or call upon Him.

The psalm says, they have not called upon God! The result seems to be "great fear where no fear had been." A brief story: Several years ago, just after 2000 I went through a short period of anxiety (maybe 6 months). I went to see a few docs who tried giving me medication to help - it didn't help. I tried a number of things. Night after night I would fall asleep as soon as I got into bed, and night after night I would wake up, full awake, at 1:00 AM. At first it frustrated me, but later on I learned to take this time as a blessing. I would go to my boy's rooms and pray for them as they slept... and then I would have a cup of tea, read the psalms, and journal. I would be up for about two hours, and then fall back to sleep for a bit. It became a rich time of seeking, and finding, God.

I'm going through a similar experience again. Not exactly the same, not sure the cause, but it struck me yesterday, I've been pursuing the issues with medical help - and will continue to do so. I am so appreciative of the blessings of medicine and the help of good docs. However, I simply realized I have not been calling on God for this really, nor really seeking His face. The result I think is simple... great fear at times where no fear had been.

We can point our boney fingers in the faces of those who "say there is no God." I don't usually do that... I think it's important to honor each person as one carrying the Imago Dei regardless of their beliefs. The real question to me (to us) is whether or not we're just as foolish... knowing God and not calling.