Christian daily devotionals

When all Hell Breaks Loose

Posted on by Betsy

Our lectionary passage today is filled with foreboding. This is a strange way to welcome the first Sunday of Advent, but Jesus was very purposeful in his words about what will happen at the Second Coming. Perhaps it is a sober and thoughtful way to start Advent, before we get too caught up in the “parties and drinking and shopping,” as Eugene Peterson says in The Message version of this Scripture. It is a good reminder that the first coming that we celebrate on December 25 was only a precursor to the second one. Let’s dive in:

Luke 21 (The Message)

25-26 “It will seem like all hell has broken loose—sun, moon, stars, earth, sea, in an uproar and everyone all over the world in a panic, the wind knocked out of them by the threat of doom, the powers-that-be quaking.

27-28 “And then—then!—they’ll see the Son of Man welcomed in grand style—a glorious welcome! When all this starts to happen, up on your feet. Stand tall with your heads high. Help is on the way!”

Even in the terror of what he is describing, Jesus gives us this word of assurance. We, who follow him, are encouraged to stand up, stand tall, look up, and see our redemption coming. While the unbelieving world will be cowering and quaking, believers will be able to stand and watch as the Son of Man reclaims the earth.

29-33 He told them a story. “Look at a fig tree. Any tree for that matter. When the leaves begin to show, one look tells you that summer is right around the corner. The same here—when you see these things happen, you know God’s kingdom is about here. Don’t brush this off: I’m not just saying this for some future generation, but for this one, too—these things will happen. Sky and earth will wear out; my words won’t wear out.

The realization that at some point heaven and earth will pass away but God’s words will remain is good reason for us to do what we are doing right now. We should stay in the word, study the word, and be in the word on a daily basis.

34-36 “But be on your guard. Don’t let the sharp edge of your expectation get dulled by parties and drinking and shopping. Otherwise, that Day is going to take you by complete surprise, spring on you suddenly like a trap, for it’s going to come on everyone, everywhere, at once. So, whatever you do, don’t fall asleep at the wheel. Pray constantly that you will have the strength and wits to make it through everything that’s coming and end up on your feet before the Son of Man.”

Our job, then, is to be ready and to be constantly on the alert for signs that Jesus is about to return. In the meantime, while we wait, we have work to do. We must pray and stay focused on the One who is coming. God’s kingdom is about here! How will you live that out your life today?

Be ready.

The Day of the Lord is at Hand by Michelle Robertson

Delivered

Posted on by Betsy

Deliverance. What a curious word! Think of the many things that get delivered. Mail gets delivered. Pizzas get delivered. Packages get delivered. Babies get delivered. People in jeopardy get delivered. Souls get delivered.

Have you ever asked God to deliver you from something?

It is not uncommon when you find yourself in a place of great distress to ask God to deliver you from it. Illness, abuse, violence, unfulfilling jobs, hateful bosses, out-of-control teenagers … Lord, in your mercy, deliver us. Even atheists pray in foxholes.

I have had many a broken-hearted spouse come to me seeking God’s deliverance from the awful pain of betrayal. Sometimes God delivers them from a toxic marriage, and freedom is restored. Other times he delivers them from their anguish and facilitates forgiveness and reconciliation. 

One thing is sure: God is our refuge and strength. He is our Deliverer. 

Look at the beautiful language of Psalm 31, but before you do, ponder this: is there something from which you need to be delivered? Is there a sin, a destructive habit, an overwhelming loneliness, a feeling of shame, a debilitating anger, or a negative personality trait that is pulling you down? These things can feel like a fishing net that has tangled itself around your ankles. You can’t move. You are trapped.

Think of that net and imagine that you are at the foot of the cross, asking Jesus to cut you free as you pray this prayer:

Psalm 31 (New King James Version)

1 In You, O Lord, I put my trust;
 Let me never be ashamed;
 Deliver me in Your righteousness.
2 Bow down Your ear to me,
 Deliver me speedily;
 Be my rock of refuge,
 A fortress of defense to save me.

3 For You are my rock and my fortress;
  Therefore, for Your name’s sake,
  Lead me and guide me.
4 Pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me,
  For You are my strength.

5 Into Your hand I commit my spirit;
 You have redeemed me, O Lord God of truth.

I’m sure you recognize verse 5 as the last thing Jesus said as he died on the cross. Jesus was quoting this scripture at the exact moment that God delivered him, cutting the crucifixion-net free and releasing his spirit as he left the earth.

So too will he do for you, if you trust him to release you from whatever has entangled you. 

You don’t have to stay trapped. You don’t have to be caught in despair. You may have done things that led you straight into a net that was laid out for you, but you don’t have to stay there. All you must do is ask to be pulled out.

Behold! Your Deliverer comes.

(From Psalms by the Sea, available at Amazon.)

Lead me, Lord by Michelle Robertson

Taking Root

Posted on by Betsy

Sand dunes grow. They are a complex, living infrastructure of sand, water, vegetation, and wind. Along the Outer Banks, the dunes protect the inner parts of the island from the encroaching seas. We boast of having the largest sand dune on the East Coast here in Nags Head, called Jockey’s Ridge. This massive, moving dune is so big, it has swallowed up a mini-golf course in its southwest trajectory.

The Outer Banks has recently undergone extensive beach nourishment along our coastline. Erosion, seas, and winds have threatened our beaches for decades, and so our towns have responded with a nourishment program that effectively extended the beach by pumping off-shore sand onto the shoreline.

The Baby Dune effort then began in hopes of stabilizing the protective dunes. Baby dunes are intentionally planted with vegetation such as sea oats, hearty grasses, and dense patches of dune mats that take root and hold the dune together. If the vegetation is damaged, the dune will fail, the water will breach, and roads and homes will be affected.

The most threatening thing to baby dune growth is people. People ignore the “Keep Off” signs and walk over the dune rather than go a few hundred yards away to a groomed beach access. Beach goers, not wind, are the biggest threat to the stability of this fragile ecosystem.

Colossians 2 (The Message)

My counsel for you is simple and straightforward: Just go ahead with what you’ve been given. You have received Christ Jesus, the Master. Now LIVE him. You’re deeply rooted in him. You’re constructed upon him. You know your way around the faith. Now do what you’ve been taught. School’s out; quit studying the subject and start LIVING it! And let your living spill over into thanksgiving.

This passage talks about taking root in Christ. One of the interesting things about the dune grasses and vegetation mats is that their roots aren’t exceptionally deep, but they spread over the top of the dune and provide anchoring to the top layer of sand. Their extensive system of creeping underground stems keeps the dune intact in the winds.

Much in the same way, rooting ourselves in Christ protects our lives and keeps us intact when the winds of change begin to blow hard. In the midst of adversities, when in the blink of an eye something changes, those matted, secure roots of faith, fellowship, meditation, prayer, worship, and Scripture reading can provide resistance.

A friend suddenly lost his adult son a few days ago. The death was unexpected and has caught the family terribly off guard. As they are slowly negotiating their new reality, having roots in Christ and the interconnected family around them will hold them together. Another friend is struggling with her spouse’s addiction. The vegetation mat of hope, help, and knowing she is not alone will keep her strong in her storm.

I don’t know what kind of storm you are going through this morning but hear this: you are meant to just go ahead with what you’ve been given. You are meant to receive all that Christ died to give you. You are well constructed upon him, and no wind of change, no matter how strong, is going to blow you over. So, do what you’ve been taught! Stay strong, stand firm, and let your living spill over into thanksgiving, even in the storm.

God’s got you … and he will never let go.

Baby Dune by Michelle Robertson

Every Tear

Posted on by Betsy

I need to begin today’s devotional with a confession: I am hesitant to write on passages from Revelation. This book is so dense with meaning, so obscure with its analogies, and so over-analyzed that it makes me hold my breath to try to write about it. I had a recent conversation with my editor at Cokesbury when she called to offer me a new contract to write an adult bible study. My first question wasn’t about deadlines or pay … it was, “Is it on Revelation?” She said no, so I told her to have legal send me the contract. I respect this book too much to risk botching it!

That being said, we’ll take a dip into Chapter 7 today as it has a fabulous message with a life-giving ending.

Revelation 7:9-17 (Common English Bible)

9 After this I looked, and there was a great crowd that no one could number. They were from every nation, tribe, people, and language. They were standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They wore white robes and held palm branches in their hands. 10 They cried out with a loud voice:

“Victory belongs to our God
        who sits on the throne,
            and to the Lamb.”

As John envisioned heaven, he continually focused his attention on the throne. He is purposeful and intentional as he directs our sight there. It gives the reader a set of binoculars for seeing the truth … Jesus will reign at the end of days, and every knee will bow before him. Notice that verse 9 talks about the great crowd standing before the Lamb. What do you see? People from every nation, tribe, people, and language. Does your church look like that? Does your community reflect the diversity of heaven? How about your work place and neighborhood? I like to joke that you may be surprised to see who is standing next to you when we gather before the throne. On the other hand, they may be surprised to see you, too!

If heaven is filled with diversity, why do we live in such separation? This is a great reminder that the throne of God is the great equalizer. God loves all his children equally. Shame on us that earth is filled with systems of oppression and discrimination that marginalize the ones he loves.

11 All the angels stood in a circle around the throne, and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell facedown before the throne and worshipped God, 12 saying,

“Amen! Blessing and glory
        and wisdom and thanksgiving
        and honor and power and might
            be to our God forever and always. Amen.”

13 Then one of the elders said to me, “Who are these people wearing white robes, and where did they come from?”

14 I said to him, “Sir, you know.”

Then he said to me, “These people have come out of great hardship. They have washed their robes and made them white in the Lamb’s blood. 15 This is the reason they are before God’s throne. They worship him day and night in his temple, and the one seated on the throne will shelter them. 16 They won’t hunger or thirst anymore. No sun or scorching heat will beat down on them, 17 because the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them. He will lead them to the springs of life-giving water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

It is a cold comfort to know that the hardships endured on earth will result in a place in heaven, but comfort it is. When we are persecuted for Jesus’ sake, when we are discriminated against, lied about, demeaned, rejected, and set aside, we need to remember that our displacement here is but a guarantee of a placement of honor there. If you have ever been ridiculed or put down for speaking God’s truth, get ready. You will wear the white robe of worship.

Read that last sentence again: He will lead them to the springs of life-giving water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. You see, just like in baseball, there is no crying in heaven. No pain, no mourning, no grief, no back-stabbing, no hunger, no loneliness. The Lamb will shepherd us and we will find joy in the flock. Thanks be to God!

And thanks be to Revelation for teaching us to hold on for now.

Almost Heaven by Michelle Robertson

Walk What You Talk

Posted on by Betsy

We’ve all heard the phrase “Practice what you preach.” That ranks up there with “Walk the walk and talk the talk.” These phrases have always struck me as backwards. What would it mean to preach what you practice and walk what you talk?

That puts the burden on you to authentically live out your Jesus-called life based on standards that will preach. That puts action before words. That puts do over hear. That’s a pretty good challenge, wouldn’t you agree? How are you doing with that? Are you more walk, or talk? More preach, or practice?

In yet another instance of Jesus vs. the Pharisees, we see Sassy Jesus enter the ring with his boxing gloves on. The crowd has gathered and is breathlessly waiting for the first verbal punch to be thrown. Ding ding!

Jesus does not disappoint.

Matthew 22 (Common English Bible)

Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and his disciples, 2 “The legal experts and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat. 3 Therefore, you must take care to do everything they say. But don’t do what they do. 4 For they tie together heavy packs that are impossible to carry. They put them on the shoulders of others, but are unwilling to lift a finger to move them.5 Everything they do, they do to be noticed by others. They make extra-wide prayer bands for their arms and long tassels for their clothes. 6 They love to sit in places of honor at banquets and in the synagogues. 7 They love to be greeted with honor in the markets and to be addressed as ‘Rabbi.’

“But don’t do what they do.” Upper-cut! “They are unwilling to lift a finger.” Jab! “They only do things to be noticed by others.” Right cross! “They love to sit in places of honor.” Left hook!

Time is called, and Jesus and The Pharisee return to their respective corners. From there, Jesus turns his head to address the crowd again:

8 “But you shouldn’t be called Rabbi, because you have one teacher, and all of you are brothers and sisters. 9 Don’t call anybody on earth your father, because you have one Father, who is heavenly. 10 Don’t be called teacher, because Christ is your one teacher.

At this point the medic has been called to check on The Pharisee.

 11 But the one who is greatest among you will be your servant. 12 All who lift themselves up will be brought low.

Knock out!

But all who make themselves low will be lifted up.

Ding, ding, ding! The first round goes to Jesus. Of course we know that his boxing matches with the Pharisees will continue for many more rounds, just as our own struggles continue as we fight to turn our self-interest and pride into humble service and tangible action.

Our challenge today is to be genuine in love, humble in service, gracious in the face of hostility, and real in our approach to our neighbors … even when they are throwing punches at us.

So glove up! Let’s show the world that we are Team Jesus.

Squawk the Squawk by Michelle Robertson

Courage and Unity

Posted on by Betsy

Can you name a time in your life when you were part of a group that had a single purpose or goal? Even in the most highly trained sports team, the most gifted singing group, or the greatest work division the company ever put together, it is hard to find a group that doesn’t have some element of individualism, ego need, or competitiveness that ruins the unity.

Such it is with life.

The disunity that plagues the church in this season comes after many such moments in its history. Issues over slavery, racism, property rights, women’s rights (including ordination), ecclesial structure, hierarchy, and issues surrounding human sexuality have been present in most denominations since the first day they were formed. In my denomination these disputes have caused schisms, mergers, closures, and the re-writing of our Book of Discipline every four years.

What does scripture say about unity in the body of believers?

Paul wrote a letter to the church at Philippi in anticipation of a visit there. But in the meantime, he had words of instruction for the people:

Philippians 1 (The Message)

27-30 Meanwhile, live in such a way that you are a credit to the Message of Christ. Let nothing in your conduct hang on whether I come or not. Your conduct must be the same whether I show up to see things for myself or hear of it from a distance.

Stand united, singular in vision, contending for people’s trust in the Message, the good news, not flinching or dodging in the slightest before the opposition.

Your courage and unity will show them what they’re up against: defeat for them, victory for you—and both because of God. There’s far more to this life than trusting in Christ. There’s also suffering for him. And the suffering is as much a gift as the trusting.

We would do well to heed Paul’s words. The issues that divide us cannot be stronger than the message that unites us. We are called to make a witness to the world and contend for their TRUST in the message we are sent to deliver. It is a message of hope. It is a message of the good news of the resurrection. It is a message of peace. It is a message of God’s singular vision for the world … that all who believe in Jesus shall not perish, but have everlasting life. That is our singular vision.

It is worth setting aside our individual goals, ego needs, and competitiveness so that we might win the world for Christ. It will take our courage and our unity. Most of all it will take humility.

We are suffering right now, but if we focus on the singular vision of winning the world to Jesus, we can gain the trust of the people as we put our trust in God.

Meanwhile, live your life in such a way that you will be a credit to the cause of Christ. The world is watching.

Stand United by Michelle Robertson

Know-it-Alls

Posted on by Betsy

Everybody knows so much these days! Google has enabled us to become instant experts on every subject. Just ask someone a question and they will have an answer. But that has been our undoing, in a sense. If person A is quoting resource A to person B, who is only reading resource B, a disagreement is likely to ensue. A and B will never agree because they don’t trust the other person’s resources.

Everyone is a know-it-all.

Stop and think a moment…what do you REALLY know? I’m not talking about education, research, or reading copious articles on a subject. What do you KNOW?

We know the sun rises every morning and sets every night.

We know the earth revolves around the sun and fall follows summer.

We know that things freeze at 32 degrees Fahrenheit and there is a certain level of humidity that is guaranteed to frizz a girl’s hair.

You know what else we know?

We know that the Lord is God and he made us. We know that we are his people.

Psalm 100 is a beautiful tribute to what we really know. It contains the everlasting truth of what can be known with certainty.

Psalm 100 (New King James Version)

Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!
2 Serve the Lord with gladness;
Come before His presence with singing.
3 Know that the Lord, He is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

Did you notice that before we are assured that God is God, we are invited to make the joyful shout, serve with gladness, and come into his presence with singing? In Methodism, we call that prevenient grace. Before we are even aware of him, God comes to us with his grace. His unmerited favor, his unconditional love, and his offer of salvation come before we even know who God is. This indeed is a reason to rejoice.

4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

Do you hear the invitation continuing? This Psalm is like a door that is being held wide open so that everyone can come in and set a spell. Come into the gates! Enter into the inner court! You belong here where the truth is made known. The Lord is God, and the Lord is good.

5 For the Lord is good;
His mercy is everlasting,
And His truth endures to all generations.

So maybe we don’t know as much as we think we do. But if we know the goodness of the Lord, then we know everything we need to know.

The Lord is Good by Michelle Robertson

Keeping the Main Thing the Main Thing

Posted on by Betsy

How many of you remember Crystal Pepsi? Cheetos-flavored lip balm? Colgate Frozen Entrees? Heinz “Easy Squirt” purple ketchup? These are perfect examples of what happens when companies, institutions, and people forget to keep the main thing the main thing. Each one of us has a mission in life. The mission of Colgate is to make toothpaste. The mission of Cheetos is, well, to make Cheetos. The mission of Christ followers is to feed the hungry, give water to the thirsty, shelter the homeless, clothe the naked and visit the sick and the prisoners.

How are we doing with that?

Today’s devotional is an appropriate follow-up to the recent one on Revelation 7. Jesus explains a vision of heaven much like the Revelation of John of Patmos’ vision. We are focused again on the throne and the diversity of the nations gathered around the Son of Man, the Lamb. But this passage takes a more cautionary tone:

Matthew 25 (The Message)

31-33 “When he finally arrives, blazing in beauty and all his angels with him, the Son of Man will take his place on his glorious throne. Then all the nations will be arranged before him and he will sort the people out, much as a shepherd sorts out sheep and goats, putting sheep to his right and goats to his left.

A sorting will happen and it is clear that at the end of days, you will want to be counted on the right side. See what it will take to enter the Kingdom of God:

34-36 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Enter, you who are blessed by my Father! Take what’s coming to you in this kingdom. It’s been ready for you since the world’s foundation. And here’s why:

I was hungry and you fed me,
I was thirsty and you gave me a drink,
I was homeless and you gave me a room,
I was shivering and you gave me clothes,
I was sick and you stopped to visit,
I was in prison and you came to me.’

37-40 “Then those ‘sheep’ are going to say, ‘Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink? And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?’ Then the King will say, ‘I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.’

What a beautiful reminder to us about the importance of being the “hands and feet” of Christ in this life. By serving his fragile children, we are serving the king. Can there be anything more important? Can any calling be greater?

41-43 “Then he will turn to the ‘goats,’ the ones on his left, and say, ‘Get out, worthless goats! You’re good for nothing but the fires of hell. And why? Because—

I was hungry and you gave me no meal,
I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
I was homeless and you gave me no bed,
I was shivering and you gave me no clothes,
Sick and in prison, and you never visited.’

44 “Then those ‘goats’ are going to say, ‘Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or homeless or shivering or sick or in prison and didn’t help?’

Friends, we don’t want to be counted with the goats. This is a good time to do a reality check. Are you giving, serving, helping, and engaging with people who are overlooked or ignored? If not, you are not serving the King.

45 “He will answer them, ‘I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you failed to do one of these things to someone who was being overlooked or ignored, that was me—you failed to do it to me.’

46 “Then those ‘goats’ will be herded to their eternal doom, but the ‘sheep’ to their eternal reward.”

Jesus is clear about his expectations. When people, community groups, and churches devote a lot of time in food pantries, homeless shelters, disaster recovery, and clothes closets, they are pleasing to God. I am blessed to serve a church like that, and we are surrounded by churches and organizations who are actively involved in local ministries. How about your church? How about you? Volunteering and offering financial support to the things that Jesus cares about will usher you right into the kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven.

Let us keep the main thing the main thing.

Nope. (Photo from https://www.thedailymeal.com/eat/16-humiliating-and-hilarious-food-and-drink-product-fails-slideshow/)

You Are Not the Messiah

Posted on by Betsy

“Bless people who harass you” comes straight out of Romans, chapter 12. Yes, this phase is actually in the Bible! Darn you, Paul! Here I was, thinking I am righteous in my indignation over people who harass me. I like to envision myself as a modern-day Jesus, overturning the money lenders’ tables at the Temple when I get royally aggravated at someone. Jesus got angry, why can’t I??

Well, to begin with, I am not the Messiah, and neither are you. An affront to the incarnate God on the steps of the Holy of Holies constituted something that was actually sacrilegious. My offenders are annoying, but they are not committing heresies against the divine. In short, there are many situations where we just need to get over ourselves.

A reader of my devotionals once confronted me about my “tone.” And as confrontations usually go, I was then offended by his “tone.” But we are two people who love each other and listen closely to the leading of the Holy Spirit, even in the midst of difficult conversations. We were able to hear each other out and, by the grace of God, we’ve held on to what is good in our relationship. I think Paul would have been pleased with our exchange.

Romans 12 (Common English Bible)

9 Love should be shown without pretending. Hate evil, and hold on to what is good. 10 Love each other like the members of your family. Be the best at showing honor to each other. 11 Don’t hesitate to be enthusiastic—be on fire in the Spirit as you serve the Lord! 12 Be happy in your hope, stand your ground when you’re in trouble, and devote yourselves to prayer.13 Contribute to the needs of God’s people, and welcome strangers into your home. 

14 Bless people who harass you—bless and don’t curse them. 

Where is God calling you to bless someone you would rather curse? Do you have a list? Most of us do. But Paul challenges us to love without pretending and show honor to each other. This can only be done when you talk and listen to those whom you’d rather curse.

And don’t miss the part about devoting yourselves to prayer! Contending with harassers and enemies has got to come after time has been spent in prayer. It may take years.

Early in my ministry I was attacked by a matriarch of the church. She had no appreciation for what I brought to the table. She complained about my children’s sermons, said that my recruitment efforts to set up team-teaching in Sunday School had failed because “nobody liked me,” etc. She took those concerns to our Staff Parish committee (basically a Human Resources committee), and they called me in to talk about it. I was DEVASTATED. The committee discussed it further after I went back to my office, where I began to collect boxes to pack my things. About an hour later my assigned committee-advocate found me. He told me that the committee felt the matter was over that night and no action would be taken. But the deep pain I felt left a mark. By the way, team-teaching was a huge success.

My advocate was much older and wiser than me and advised me to follow the Scripture that commands us to “pray for our enemies.” I took his advice. Lo and behold, many years later this woman came to me on a big church workday and called me down from a ladder to tearfully apologize for what she had said. She was sorry for the trouble she had caused all those years earlier. She had been working things out in her personal life at the time, and some of it spilled over and splashed on me. We reconciled in that moment and have maintained a friendly relationship ever since. Later on, when her child came into a time of trouble, she sought out my counsel, further solidifying our relationship. I easily love this woman without pretending.

15 Be happy with those who are happy, and cry with those who are crying. 16 Consider everyone as equal, and don’t think that you’re better than anyone else. Instead, associate with people who have no status. Don’t think that you’re so smart.

That last line is so accurate. When we feel offended by someone, we might just be missing an important lesson about our OWN behavior that needs some attention. Paul reminds us that God can do so much more with a humble and contrite spirit than a self-righteous one.

Where is God calling you to change?

Time for a Change by Kathy Schumacher

Such Foolishness

Posted on by Betsy

Let’s talk about fools today. We often assume that when we call someone a fool, we are describing an intellectual incapacity. We think about foolishness as a lack of common sense or making poor decisions. When a friend does something foolish, we respond with “Well, that was stupid!” Foolish behavior is seen as a function of the mind, and fools lack the wherewithal to “know better.” Fools are imprudent and silly.

In David’s time, however, the word fool was more a factor of heart than mind. Foolish behavior came from a place of morality, not intellect. Thus fools were the ones who were morally bankrupt evildoers, regardless of intelligence. Fools believed there is no God.

David makes it clear in Psalm 14 that he considers anyone who rejects God to be corrupt and perverse. He complains that there are few people who seek God, stating that everyone has gone astray. He draws a clear line between those who accept God for who he is and those who contend that there is no God:

Psalm 14 (New Revised Standard Version)

Fools say in their hearts, “There is no God.”
    They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds;
    there is no one who does good.

2 The Lord looks down from heaven on humankind
    to see if there are any who are wise,
    who seek after God.

3 They have all gone astray, they are all alike perverse;
    there is no one who does good,
    no, not one.

You can almost feel David’s disdain for anyone who denies God. He is solidly in the camp of those who call upon the Lord for everything, and so he has no patience or respect for godless evildoers.

4 Have they no knowledge, all the evildoers
    who eat up my people as they eat bread,
    and do not call upon the Lord?

5 There they shall be in great terror,
    for God is with the company of the righteous.
6 You would confound the plans of the poor,
    but the Lord is their refuge.

Here is the application for modern day readers: those who call upon God will find a refuge of safety in that relationship. Knowing that God is real puts one in the camp of the righteous, where God resides. It is not only the smart choice, but also the only safe choice. God is our strength. God is our restoration. God is our deliverance.

7 O that deliverance for Israel would come from Zion!
    When the Lord restores the fortunes of his people,
    Jacob will rejoice; Israel will be glad.

Do you know someone who denies the existence of God? They, too, may make this assertion from a heart-perspective rather than a head-perspective. Ask questions. Have they been hurt by the church? Have they suffered at the hand of “religion?” Have they felt condemnation from those who know God?

Listening to the heart is much better than lecturing to the mind. When people see God in your actions as you offer unconditional love, compassion, generosity, and forgiveness, they can see with their hearts that God is real.

You’re the only Jesus some will ever see. Go and preach the Gospel with your winsome ways, and only use words when absolutely necessary.

The Lord Looks Down from Heaven by Michelle Robertson