Prophet’s
Reading Plan: Daniel
5-6
The Nature of Man:
Sinful
Read Psalm 14
Though this Psalm speaks specifically about those who
have turned away from God, their description illustrates what we would all be
like without the salvation of God.
“The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’” This
is where the road to lawlessness begins – in the heart. Out of the heart the
mouth speaks and Jesus said that an evil heart brings forth evil deeds. When
the heart dislikes the idea of good and right, it begins to adopt the belief
that there is no God to set the boundaries or to even care, thus corruption and
vile behaviour become normal and acceptable.
We need to capture the inclinations of foolishness and
rebellion right away, bringing them to Jesus with a plea for help. Notice that
the fool here is speaking in his heart,
not necessarily with his lips. One can claim belief in God while inwardly feeling
a complete aversion to the Holy One.
This is not to say that everyone reading this should
doubt their salvation! If we have committed ourselves to following the Lord and
obeying Him, we can be confident! But part of our following Him includes
quickly dealing with sin and doubt in our hearts.
Overview
Verse 1: The
fool says there is no God
Verses 2-3: God
sees that all have turned away from Him
Verses 4-6: God
is present with the righteous
Verse 7: Cry
for the salvation of Israel
PRAYER AND MEDITATION
1)
Do an inventory of your heart today by
thinking through the following.
a. Are
there any situations where you just do not want to do what you know is right?
b. Are
you experiencing any doubts in your faith?
c. Are
you engaged in any deliberate sin?
Admit your answers to
God, repent if necessary, and be quick to ask Jesus for His help; He wants to
help you!
