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Illustration of a bewildered, comical figure scratching his head with a floating question mark above him, illustrating Psalm 14's description of the fool who says in his heart, 'There is no God.'

Psalm 14

The Foolish Heart

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This psalm says that only a foolish person would say there is no God. When God looks down from heaven, He wants to find people who are seeking Him. The good news is that God saves people who trust in Him!

  1. 1The fool has said in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt; their acts are vile. There is no one who does good.
  2. 2The LORD looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if any understand, if any seek God.
  3. 3All have turned away; they have together become corrupt. There is no one who does good, not even one.
  4. 4Will these evildoers never learn? They devour my people as men eat bread; they do not call on the LORD.
  5. 5But there they are, overwhelmed with dread, for God is present in the assembly of the righteous.
  6. 6You evildoers frustrate the plans of the poor, but the LORD is their refuge.
  7. 7Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! When the LORD restores His people, let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!

What it means

It's foolish to live as if God isn't there. The truth is, every single person needs God's rescue — none of us is good enough on our own. But God is present with those who turn to Him, and He is our hope.

A little prayer

Lord, help me never to live as if You aren't there. I need You every day. Thank You for being close to all who seek You. Be my hope and my rescue. Amen.

Memory verse

“The LORD looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God.”

Psalm 14:2 (BSB)

It puts the search the right way round: God is already looking for people who are looking.

Talk about it

Questions with no single right answer — for a family table or a Sunday-school circle.

  1. The psalm says only a fool says there is no God. What does 'fool' mean here — not clever, or something else?
  2. It says God looks down to see if anyone is seeking Him. What does seeking look like?
  3. The psalm is honest that everyone goes wrong sometimes. Does that make you feel worse or better?
  4. What would you say to a friend who told you they were not sure God is real?

Try this

Looking both ways

Play a short game of hide and seek. Afterwards, talk about the difference between hiding from someone who wants to find you and hiding from someone who does not care where you are.

Scripture from the Berean Standard Bible (BSB)