Psalm 14:1-7 “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt. They have done abominable deeds. There is no one who does good. The LORD looked down from heaven on the children of men, to see if there were any who understood, who sought after God. They have all gone aside. They have together become corrupt. There is no one who does good, no, not one. Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge, who eat up my people as they eat bread, and don’t call on the LORD? There they were in great fear, for God is in the generation of the righteous. You frustrate the plan of the poor, because the LORD is his refuge. Oh that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion! When the LORD restores the fortunes of his people, then Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad.”

Here the contrast is between the wicked and the righteous. The wicked come after God’s people. They are fools! But, in reality, anybody who doesn’t know God or refuses to follow Him is a fool! And that’s the way we all start out in this world. We’re all fools:

Romans 3:9-12 “What then? Are we better than they? No, in no way. For we previously warned both Jews and Greeks that they are all under sin. As it is written, ‘There is no one righteous; no, not one. There is no one who understands. There is no one who seeks after God. They have all turned away. They have together become unprofitable. There is no one who does good, no, not so much as one.’”

Just as the Israelites realized that their only refuge in the face of such antagonism was God, so too we realize that our only protection and salvation in this world is through Jesus. When we believe we have hope! Our future is secure, and we can rejoice!

For additional worship: How Sad Our State By Nature Is — Isaac Watts