by Robert Fudge

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. 2 God looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. 3 Everyone has turned away, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.

Did you ever consider how verse one goes with the rest of this Psalm? How does the affirmation that there is no God have anything to do with those who do evil? The truth is that everyone aspires to be like someone or something. We all have an image in our minds of what we want to become. Some work at attaining this more than others but we all, to some degree, want our lives to count for something.

God gives purpose to life. As we consider the reality of God and the nature of God as described in the Bible, we see reason for living. That reason is grounded in our becoming like God and living with God in eternity. When we accept him as God, we have reason to change our lives to be more like him. In Romans 1 we read about those who did not acknowledge him or give thanks to him as God. In return God gave them over to do and be what they wanted. You can read that description in Romans 1:18-32. When we acknowledge God we have purpose in life; to bring glory to him.

God gives direction in life. When we study the word of God, we learn that he has a plan for our lives. He wants what is best for us now, here on this earth, as well as in eternity. When we acknowledge him and his sovereign rule over us, we find that he leads us in paths that have peace beyond our comprehension. He gives us hope when all seems so hopeless around us. The more we know God and his word, the more we see the direction he wants our lives to go. We are not left to flounder in the waves on the sea of life; he has charted a course for us and provides all we need to keep us on that course.
Too often the problem lies with us because we want life to be easy and without effort. If we want to know God’s purpose and directions we must spend time studying God’s word. I heard someone say that if we will spend just 20 minutes each day reading the Bible it will change our lives. Which of us could not spare 20 minutes each day? I know we are busy but just 20 minutes? If we don’t know God’s will for us, how can we see his purpose in our lives or the direction he wants us to go?

The fact is that only a “fool says in his heart; there is no God”. But do our actions speak louder than our words? Do we actually live like we believe in God? Many claim that belief while living only for themselves. It is not enough to just say we believe but we must become more like him. After all, we are made in his image to become imitators of him. He sent his Son, who is his exact image, to live among us. He demonstrated the Father’s will and then died as punishment for our sin. Now he wants us to accept his sacrifice and become like him. Don’t be a fool by denying him by our lifestyle.

Dear God, please forgive me for doubting you. Please forgive me for not following your purpose and direction in my life. Please forgive me when I fail to live in a way that shows your love to others. Give me the strength and determination to study your word and to put it into practice in my life. Thank you for sending your Son to die in my place that I might live with you, in your presence, in eternity. Thank you for all you give me each day. Help me today to become more like you. In the name of Jesus, I offer this prayer.

May God bless each of us today as we live for him.