15/3/21 Day 23

TODAY'S VERSE: 15/3/21 Day 23

Only fools say in their hearts,
    “There is no God.”
They are corrupt, and their actions are evil;
    not one of them does good!

The Lord looks down from heaven
    on the entire human race;
he looks to see if anyone is truly wise,
    if anyone seeks God.
But no, all have turned away;
    all have become corrupt.[a]
No one does good,
    not a single one!

Will those who do evil never learn?
    They eat up my people like bread
    and wouldn’t think of praying to the Lord.
Terror will grip them,
    for God is with those who obey him.
The wicked frustrate the plans of the oppressed,
    but the Lord will protect his people.

Who will come from Mount Zion to rescue Israel?
    When the Lord restores his people,
    Jacob will shout with joy, and Israel will rejoice.

- Psalm 14

 

TODAY'S DEVOTION:

Today is April Fool’s Day. Most people use this occasion to play a prank, trick or “fool” someone to fall for something that isn’t true to be funny or whimsical. Though there has been some speculation to the non-official holiday’s origin, it has been a worldwide phenomenon that brings out the prankster in all of us.

The world “fool” does seem like a strong insult. It means more or less that someone is senseless and idiotic. And as you may be aware, the word “fool” is used many times in scripture. Almost 200 times is the word used in some shape or form to describe someone. Most of the time it is used to contrast the actions of beliefs or someone that is contrary to God and his wisdom for mankind. 

Take for instance one of the most famous verses with the fool reference, Psalm 14:1, “The fool says in his heart ‘There is no God’. They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds; there is none who does good”

In the scripture, a fool is someone who disregards God’s word. Who continually chooses the worthless things of this world rather than the richness of the promises of God. Even more so, someone who denies God even exists in the first place. This is not a slam on a person’s intellect, but rather a distinction drawn about a person’s unwillingness to acknowledge God’s existence in the world in which they live.

During the rest of Psalm 14, David elaborates on the depravity of mankind and the folly of the foolishness of not following God’s wisdom. But the reader is not left with hopelessness. For there is hope for the “fool”. And that hope is you and me. Zion, the church, the means by which God will fulfill his plan to bring those that do not believe to come to trust and love him. 

God restores people through the way the church loves and accepts people . By us being his hands and feet. By taking care of those who are less fortunate. By building and repairing homes in our Lenten project with Habitat for Humanity. Through all the ministries at Hope and weekend worship. 

Light will shine and the darkness will not overcome. 

Perry Ross
Worship Arts Minister



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