Monday
Is There Really Only One God?
The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds; there is none who does good. The Lord looks down from heaven on the children of man, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God. – Psalm 14:1-2 (ESV) There is an old story of a king and his clown or “jester” who sometimes said very foolish things. One day, the jester had said something so foolish that the king handed him a staff, and said to him, “Take this, and keep it till you find a bigger fool than yourself.” “Some years later, the king lay on his deathbed. His courtiers were called: his family and his servants also stood around his bedside. The king, addressing them, said, “I am about to leave you. I am going on a very long journey and I shall not return again to this place: so I have called you all to say goodbye.” Then his jester stepped forward and addressing the king said “Your Majesty, may I ask a question? When you have journeyed abroad visiting your people or paying diplomatic visits to other courts your heralds and servants have always gone before you, making preparations for you. May I ask what preparations, your Majesty has made for this long journey that he is about to take?” “Alas!” replied the king, “I have made no preparations.” “Then,” said the jester, “Take this staff with you, for now, I have found a bigger fool than myself.” Psalm 14 addresses the condition of those who claim to believe there is no God. God calls those individuals a fool. The word “fool” is often used in the Scriptures to denote a wicked man – as sin is the essence of folly. “The reason the person is a fool and not merely mistaken is that he knows there is a God and yet chooses to believe and act as if there is none” (James Montgomery Boice) Being a fool and denying God is as much a matter of the heart as it is a matter of the head.
Reflection
Being a fool isn’t just saying there is no God. Being a fool is also living like there is no God. Are there any areas of your life where you are living like there is no God?
Praise/Prayer
Praise God as the One True God of the universe. Ask God to show you any areas where you are leaving Him out.
The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds; there is none who does good. The Lord looks down from heaven on the children of man, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God. – Psalm 14:1-2 (ESV) There is an old story of a king and his clown or “jester” who sometimes said very foolish things. One day, the jester had said something so foolish that the king handed him a staff, and said to him, “Take this, and keep it till you find a bigger fool than yourself.” “Some years later, the king lay on his deathbed. His courtiers were called: his family and his servants also stood around his bedside. The king, addressing them, said, “I am about to leave you. I am going on a very long journey and I shall not return again to this place: so I have called you all to say goodbye.” Then his jester stepped forward and addressing the king said “Your Majesty, may I ask a question? When you have journeyed abroad visiting your people or paying diplomatic visits to other courts your heralds and servants have always gone before you, making preparations for you. May I ask what preparations, your Majesty has made for this long journey that he is about to take?” “Alas!” replied the king, “I have made no preparations.” “Then,” said the jester, “Take this staff with you, for now, I have found a bigger fool than myself.” Psalm 14 addresses the condition of those who claim to believe there is no God. God calls those individuals a fool. The word “fool” is often used in the Scriptures to denote a wicked man – as sin is the essence of folly. “The reason the person is a fool and not merely mistaken is that he knows there is a God and yet chooses to believe and act as if there is none” (James Montgomery Boice) Being a fool and denying God is as much a matter of the heart as it is a matter of the head.
Reflection
Being a fool isn’t just saying there is no God. Being a fool is also living like there is no God. Are there any areas of your life where you are living like there is no God?
Praise/Prayer
Praise God as the One True God of the universe. Ask God to show you any areas where you are leaving Him out.
Tuesday
Why do people challenge God’s existence? The Problem of Pain, Suffering, and Struggles
The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds; there is none who does good. The Lord looks down from heaven on the children of man, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God. – Psalm 14:1-2 (ESV) How does a worm get inside an apple? Perhaps you think the worm burrows in from the outside. No, scientists have discovered that the worm comes from inside. But how does he get in there? Simple! An insect lays an egg in the apple blossom. Sometime later, the worm hatches in the heart of the apple, then eats his way out. Sin, like the worn, begins in the heart and works out through a person’s thoughts, words, and actions. (Heaven and Home Hour Radio Bulletin) Everyone is born with a sin nature. Sin starts on the inside. People struggle to believe in God because people struggle in life. People struggle in life because our sinful nature is destructive. The psalmist writes, “They are corrupt.” He also writes, “There is none who does good.” Depravity is universal. All have fallen into sin; all fail to do good. Humanity remains in that condition without a relationship with Jesus.
Reflection
Romans 3:23-24 says, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” How has your relationship with Jesus helped you deal with pain, suffering, and struggles?
Praise/Prayer
Thank God for the forgiveness He offered you through His Son Jesus. Pray for anyone you know who is suffering to draw near to Jesus and experience His grace.
The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds; there is none who does good. The Lord looks down from heaven on the children of man, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God. – Psalm 14:1-2 (ESV) How does a worm get inside an apple? Perhaps you think the worm burrows in from the outside. No, scientists have discovered that the worm comes from inside. But how does he get in there? Simple! An insect lays an egg in the apple blossom. Sometime later, the worm hatches in the heart of the apple, then eats his way out. Sin, like the worn, begins in the heart and works out through a person’s thoughts, words, and actions. (Heaven and Home Hour Radio Bulletin) Everyone is born with a sin nature. Sin starts on the inside. People struggle to believe in God because people struggle in life. People struggle in life because our sinful nature is destructive. The psalmist writes, “They are corrupt.” He also writes, “There is none who does good.” Depravity is universal. All have fallen into sin; all fail to do good. Humanity remains in that condition without a relationship with Jesus.
Reflection
Romans 3:23-24 says, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” How has your relationship with Jesus helped you deal with pain, suffering, and struggles?
Praise/Prayer
Thank God for the forgiveness He offered you through His Son Jesus. Pray for anyone you know who is suffering to draw near to Jesus and experience His grace.
Wednesday
Why do people challenge God’s existence? Proof and Science
They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one. – Psalm 14:3 (ESV) A freshman at Eagle Rock Junior High won first prize at the greater Idaho Falls Science Fair, on April 26, 1997. He was attempting to show how conditioned we have become to alarmists practicing junk science and spreading fear of everything in our environment. In his project, he urged people to sign a petition demanding strict control or total elimination of the chemical “dihydrogen monoxide.” And for plenty of good reasons, since it: 1. Can cause excessive sweating and vomiting. 2. It is a major component of acid rain. 3. It can cause severe burns in its gaseous state. 4. Accidental inhalation can kill you. 5. It decreases the effectiveness of automobile brakes. 6. It has been found in tumors of terminal cancer patients.
He asked 50 people if they supported a ban on the chemical. Forty-three said yes, six were undecided, and only one knew that the chemical was H20 (water). The title of his prize-winning project was, “How Gullible Are We?” He feels the conclusion is obvious. (Source unknown)
In Psalm 14:3, God concludes that “they have all turned aside.” This verse states the result of the divine investigation. The word rendered “gone aside” means properly to go off, to turn aside or away, to depart; as, for example, to turn out of the right way or path. So many people have blindly accepted false conclusions about the origination of life and where we all came from. According to Romans 1:20, The attributes of God can be clearly seen through created things. The design in Creation argues there has to be a Designer. That designer is God. Those who are unrighteous before God do not want to know about Him, so they try to suppress the truth about God.
Reflection
What are some things we can learn about God through science and His Creation?
Praise/Prayer
Thank God for opening your eyes to the truth about science and Creation. Praise God as Creator. Ask God to open the eyes of anyone who know who is struggling to believe in God’s existence.
They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one. – Psalm 14:3 (ESV) A freshman at Eagle Rock Junior High won first prize at the greater Idaho Falls Science Fair, on April 26, 1997. He was attempting to show how conditioned we have become to alarmists practicing junk science and spreading fear of everything in our environment. In his project, he urged people to sign a petition demanding strict control or total elimination of the chemical “dihydrogen monoxide.” And for plenty of good reasons, since it: 1. Can cause excessive sweating and vomiting. 2. It is a major component of acid rain. 3. It can cause severe burns in its gaseous state. 4. Accidental inhalation can kill you. 5. It decreases the effectiveness of automobile brakes. 6. It has been found in tumors of terminal cancer patients.
He asked 50 people if they supported a ban on the chemical. Forty-three said yes, six were undecided, and only one knew that the chemical was H20 (water). The title of his prize-winning project was, “How Gullible Are We?” He feels the conclusion is obvious. (Source unknown)
In Psalm 14:3, God concludes that “they have all turned aside.” This verse states the result of the divine investigation. The word rendered “gone aside” means properly to go off, to turn aside or away, to depart; as, for example, to turn out of the right way or path. So many people have blindly accepted false conclusions about the origination of life and where we all came from. According to Romans 1:20, The attributes of God can be clearly seen through created things. The design in Creation argues there has to be a Designer. That designer is God. Those who are unrighteous before God do not want to know about Him, so they try to suppress the truth about God.
Reflection
What are some things we can learn about God through science and His Creation?
Praise/Prayer
Thank God for opening your eyes to the truth about science and Creation. Praise God as Creator. Ask God to open the eyes of anyone who know who is struggling to believe in God’s existence.
Thursday
Why do people challenge God’s existence? Pride
They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one. Have they no knowledge, all the evildoers who eat up my people as they eat bread and do not call upon the Lord? – Psalm 14:3-4 (ESV) An atheist farmer often ridiculed those who believe in God. He wrote a letter to the local newspaper in which he scoffed, “I plowed on Sunday, planted on Sunday, cultivated on Sunday, and hauled in my crops on Sunday; but I never went to church on Sunday. Yet, I harvested more bushels per acre than anyone else, even those who are God-fearing and never miss a service. The editor printed the man’s letter and then added this remark: “God doesn’t always settle His accounts in October.” (Taken from “Our Daily Bread,” date unknown.) David marveled at the ignorance of the wicked who disregard God and consequently have no regard for His people. The pride of humanity often keeps them from acknowledging and worshiping God. The famed Austrian psychologist Carl Jung once wrote about a life without God: “Those psychiatrists who are not superficial have come to the conclusion that the vast neurotic misery of the world could be TERMED a neurosis of emptiness. Men cut themselves off from the root of their being, from God and then life turns empty, inane, meaningless, without purpose. So when God goes, goal (purpose) goes. When goal goes, meaning goes. When meaning goes, value goes, and life turns dead on our hands.”
Reflection
Pride can keep any of us from making godly decisions. What was the last poor decision you made because of pride?
Praise/Prayer
Jesus said we must deny ourselves if we want to follow Him. Confess your desire to follow Jesus today. Ask God to help you in areas where you are struggling to deny yourself.
They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one. Have they no knowledge, all the evildoers who eat up my people as they eat bread and do not call upon the Lord? – Psalm 14:3-4 (ESV) An atheist farmer often ridiculed those who believe in God. He wrote a letter to the local newspaper in which he scoffed, “I plowed on Sunday, planted on Sunday, cultivated on Sunday, and hauled in my crops on Sunday; but I never went to church on Sunday. Yet, I harvested more bushels per acre than anyone else, even those who are God-fearing and never miss a service. The editor printed the man’s letter and then added this remark: “God doesn’t always settle His accounts in October.” (Taken from “Our Daily Bread,” date unknown.) David marveled at the ignorance of the wicked who disregard God and consequently have no regard for His people. The pride of humanity often keeps them from acknowledging and worshiping God. The famed Austrian psychologist Carl Jung once wrote about a life without God: “Those psychiatrists who are not superficial have come to the conclusion that the vast neurotic misery of the world could be TERMED a neurosis of emptiness. Men cut themselves off from the root of their being, from God and then life turns empty, inane, meaningless, without purpose. So when God goes, goal (purpose) goes. When goal goes, meaning goes. When meaning goes, value goes, and life turns dead on our hands.”
Reflection
Pride can keep any of us from making godly decisions. What was the last poor decision you made because of pride?
Praise/Prayer
Jesus said we must deny ourselves if we want to follow Him. Confess your desire to follow Jesus today. Ask God to help you in areas where you are struggling to deny yourself.
Friday
How can you be confident in God’s existence? Christ Jesus
Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! When the Lord restores the fortunes of his people, let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad. – Psalm 14:7 (ESV)
Phillips Brooks of Boston became quite ill and would see no visitors. However, when Robert Ingersoll, the noted atheist, heard that his friend was sick, he called his home and was admitted at once. “I appreciate this very much,” said Mr. Ingersoll. “But why do you see me when you deny yourself to your other friends? I don’t understand.” “It’s like this, ” answered Bishop Brooks. “I feel confident of seeing my other friends in the next world, but this may be my very last chance to see you.” Christians have hope and confidence in eternity because of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Psalm 14:7 describes the liberation of His people from captivity. This is “language” taken from captivity in a foreign land. It is not necessarily, limited to physical captivity. “Let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad” means that liberation would give great joy to the people of God. The ultimate liberation and salvation for God’s people would come through Jesus.
Reflection
As believers, there will be great joy in heaven but we can also have great joy here and now. What excites you about heaven? What about your faith gives you joy now?
Praise/Prayer
Praise God for the hope of heaven and the joy we can look forward to experiencing. Pray to God and ask Him to help you experience some of His divine joy today.
Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! When the Lord restores the fortunes of his people, let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad. – Psalm 14:7 (ESV)
Phillips Brooks of Boston became quite ill and would see no visitors. However, when Robert Ingersoll, the noted atheist, heard that his friend was sick, he called his home and was admitted at once. “I appreciate this very much,” said Mr. Ingersoll. “But why do you see me when you deny yourself to your other friends? I don’t understand.” “It’s like this, ” answered Bishop Brooks. “I feel confident of seeing my other friends in the next world, but this may be my very last chance to see you.” Christians have hope and confidence in eternity because of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Psalm 14:7 describes the liberation of His people from captivity. This is “language” taken from captivity in a foreign land. It is not necessarily, limited to physical captivity. “Let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad” means that liberation would give great joy to the people of God. The ultimate liberation and salvation for God’s people would come through Jesus.
Reflection
As believers, there will be great joy in heaven but we can also have great joy here and now. What excites you about heaven? What about your faith gives you joy now?
Praise/Prayer
Praise God for the hope of heaven and the joy we can look forward to experiencing. Pray to God and ask Him to help you experience some of His divine joy today.
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