Reading Psalm 53 and seeking Proverbial wisdom

This morning I read Psalm 53. The first verse struck me; I went back to it several times.

Psalm 53:1 — “The fool says in his heart, ‘There’s no God.’ They are corrupt and do vile deeds. There is no one who does good.”

Why, I thought, would anyone believe there is no God? Is it because they were told this during childhood? Is it because they do not want to live according to any standard other than their own whims and desires? Why?

While that question is too lofty for me to fully understand, I can see what qualities mark foolish behavior. And foolishness isn’t reserved only for the atheist who does not believe God exists at all. No—I believe in God and have played the fool many times in my life.

I need only look to Proverbs to see the evidence.

Proverbs 18:2
“A fool never delights in true knowledge but only wants to express what’s on his mind.”

I have been that person many times—quick to speak what is on my mind, not seeing the bigger picture—God’s picture—but only my own perspective, reacting according to my limited understanding.

And what is true knowledge anyway?

It begins with fearing God.

Proverbs 1:7
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and discipline.”

The fear of the Lord is an interesting concept. When I was young, I thought it was a “hide behind the couch” sort of fear—a “God is angry like my dad” kind of fear. What I didn’t understand was that the wrath of my earthly father does not compare to the wrath of God. Human anger and God’s anger are not the same. One can be unjust and frightening (human); the other is just and loving (God).

It took me years to separate God from humans and place Him, rightfully, high above people. As I came to know God and His Word better, the “fear” of God became a two-sided concept for me.

Fearful trembling: God created the entire universe—the vastness of space and the smallness of me. It is unfathomable. It is wise to fear this kind of power because it is unmatched and sovereign over all that exists. This is not a panic, hide-behind-the-couch fear, but an awareness that draws me into deep respect—reverence and awe.

Fearful respect: For me, respect follows closely behind that trembling. They are inseparable. It is both the feeling and the response—the desire to do what God wants because I understand, albeit limited, His endless power. Since I believe God exists and is Master of all, I respect Him.

It is greater than respecting any authority in this world. I can show respect to human authorities because they have the power to affect my circumstances—a teacher can give a bad grade, a police officer can enforce consequences. But when they are not present, that sense of accountability fades.

But God?

He is ever-present. Therefore, my attitudes and behaviors are seen even when I am alone. That kind of authority motivates me to do what is right before Him.

I won’t say I’m always good at this. I am a work in progress. But I have come to know God not only as the authority in my life, but as a loving Father, a patient teacher, and a Savior—someone who is for me, not against me.

He helps me become who He created me to be. He forgives me when I fail. And He loves me completely through it all.

How can I lose?

Properly positioning God in my life was the beginning of true knowledge. It opened the door to admitting that I do not know best—God does. My earthly father does not know best—God does. My pastor does not know best—God does.

Anything we humans “know” must be held up against God’s Word. If it does not align with His truth, it is not right. Simple—but not always easy.

My life must fit into God’s Word. It is not for God to fit into my life. That, right there, is foolishness.

That is not fearing God or respecting Him as all-powerful and all-knowing.

Proverbs is full of verses that define the fool. These have helped me many times when facing decisions or trying to solve problems. I need only look back over my own life to see how unwise it is to trust myself without seeking God.

Proverbs 28:26
“Those who trust their own insight are foolish…”

Oh, boy—I’ve done plenty of that. I’ve trusted my own insight and knowledge. It can be hard not to rely on what I “know,” especially because I love learning. I am, in many ways, a knowledge junkie. I enjoy discovering information—I find it fascinating, entertaining, even comforting.

But this has also been a weakness. I’ve learned that the information I collect is not always right. It is not my understanding that leads me rightly—it is God’s.

So I return again to Proverbs.

Proverbs 3:5–6
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”

Oi.

I have long loved this verse; I have not always lived it.

Learning to trust God was not easy for me. There was a time when I had very little trust in the people around me—and very little trust in myself. I did not yet understand how different God is from humans. I viewed Him through a human lens—and I was wrong.

As I grew in faith, I began to see just how much higher God is than anyone who has ever walked this earth (Jesus excluded). I realized that trust must begin with Him.

I stopped resisting God and began trusting Him—even when I didn’t understand. And that changed me.

As my faith grew, so did my inner peace. As my trust grew, so did my contentment.

The gap between heaven and earth became both vast and near at the same time.

Vast—because I came to understand that God is God, and humans are not. There is an immeasurable difference between Creator and created.

Numbers 23:19
“God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through?”

It meant everything to me to know there is Someone—God—who will never lie to me or fail me.

And near—because God places eternity in our hearts. He gives us a longing for something beyond this life.

Ecclesiastes 3:11
“He has planted eternity in the human heart…”

And for those who believe, He makes His home within us.

Ephesians 3:16–17
“…Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him.”

Imagine—Jesus at home in my heart.

That truth brings me back to Psalm 53—the fool who says in his heart, “There is no God.” That same heart was created with a longing for eternity, yet can become hardened to God’s reality.

Why? How?

Again, too lofty for me to answer.

But this I know: in knowing God—fearing Him rightly, trusting Him, and loving Him—I see how close I have been to that same foolishness.

And it compels me to love others with the love of Christ.

And maybe, just maybe, the one who has quieted that longing for eternity will one day say in his heart,

“There is a God.”