Psalm 53:1
One may be very rich in earthly goods and desperately poor in spiritual life. And one may he honored as one full of worldly wisdom, and by God be called a fool. Men there are who teach in colleges and universities and have high sounding titles and a string of degrees behind their names. Yet, through David, God calls them fools in Psalm 53:1. There we read: "The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God."
These men deny that God created the world. Their explanation of the world's existence is that intense heat and cold acted upon gaseous vapors. But they make no attempt to explain where that gaseous vapor, cold, and heat came from, and thus only push the question back without answering it.
Such men take God's name in vain in order to emphasize their words even while they insist that He does not exist. What folly it is to spend time and money to fight an enemy whom you declare nonexistent!
Very correctly our versification of David's words has it (PRC Psalter):
Fools in their heart have said,
There is no God of might;
Corrupt are they and base their deeds,
In evil they delight.
We had better be careful, however, because there is so much of this sinfulness and foolishness in us. In our hearts as we are by nature, is this same folly, and often it comes across our lips.
How often have you ascribed this or that to luck or called this or that good luck or bad luck? You never said ''I was lucky?" Or, "It was just a case of tough luck?'' Whenever we ascribe anything to luck, David is used by God to point his finger at us and to tell us that we are behaving as fools.
It is sin and folly to deny God in anything that happens. And by that word "luck" we deny that the everywhere present and almighty God has caused this or that to take place. We rule Him out, and our god is luck!
By all means let us start today to praise God, and never let that word "luck'' fall from our lips, except when we condemn its use.
Read: Psalm 53
Psalter versification: #146:1
Daily Meditations on the Heidelberg Catechism
Song for Meditation: Psalter #240
Why not sing along??
Through the Bible in One Year
Read today:
Numbers 8 ; Numbers 9:1-23
Mark 13:14-37
Psalm 50:1-23
Proverbs 10:29-30
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Quote for Reflection:
"… Knowing himself as claimed by a God of sovereign mercy, the redeemed one has peace and joy unspeakable, and he glories in the cross and will glory in God forever more." -- George M. Ophoff
Additional Info
- Date: 7-March
Heys, John A.
Rev. John A. Heys was born on March 16, 1910 in Grand Rapids, MI. He was ordained and installed into the ministry at Hope, Walker, MI in 1941. He later served at Hull, Iowa beginning in 1955. In 1959 he accepted the call to serve the South Holland, IL Protestant Reformed Church. He received and accepted the call to Holland, Michigan Protestant Reformed Church in 1967. He retired from the active ministry in 1980. He entered into glory on February 16, 1998.