Read
(A psalm by David for the music leader.)
No One Can Ignore the
1 Only a fool would say,
“There is no God!”
People like that are worthless;
they are heartless and cruel
and never do right.
2From heaven the Lord
looks down to see
if anyone is wise enough
to search for him.
3But all of them are corrupt;
no one does right.
4Won't you evil people learn?
You refuse to pray,
and you gobble up
the Lord's people.
5But you will be frightened,
because God is on the side
of every good person.
6You may spoil the plans
of the poor,
but the Lord protects them.
7I long for someone from Zion
to come and save Israel!
Our Lord, when you bless
your people again,
Jacob's family will be glad,
and Israel will celebrate.
Reflect
“God is on the side of every good person. You may spoil the plans of the poor, but the Lord protects them.” Insert sigh of relief here, because, boy, those are heartening words to hear. But wait – are they? What if I’m not one of the good people, but instead lumped into the evil and corrupt group that is so scornfully referred to in this passage?
Well, the truth is, we’re all in that group. As the passage states, “all of them are corrupt; no one does right.” Hold on, though. This is why it is always so important to read to the end. At the time when this psalm was written, the longed-for someone had not yet come to save Israel, but today we know him by name, and that name is Jesus.
Goodness isn’t measured by actions, thoughts, or words – though those are all very important in their own right – and even if it was, we would, all of us, still fall short of the standard. What makes a person “good” in the eyes of God has everything to do with their relationship with the Saviour, Jesus Christ. Anyone who says, “I’m with him,” is under his protection and on his side.
This is absolutely a reason to be glad and celebrate – David himself even took to dancing – but we shouldn’t stop there. Knowing that we are not made good by our own actions but by the grace of God, we cannot stand idly or smugly by and allow other people to lose out on this incredible reality. It is our job to bring others to Jesus – introduce them to the truest Good, so that, in turn, they too, can be, in thought, action, word, and truth: good.
Respond
Good and loving Father, thank you for sending your son, Jesus, not only as a symbol of your standard, but – most importantly – as a Saviour for sinners. For those who already know him, give us the humility, passion, and boldness to bring others as well. In Jesus’ righteous name, Amen.
Larissa Benfey
Larissa is a Toronto based actor and writer who has dabbled in everything from scripts to short stories, and is now setting her sights on novels. Having studied English and history at Tyndale University and Seminary, she loves a good story, but her favorite stories always have happy endings - which is part of why she loves the true story of the Gospel so much.