“A wicked and foolish man truly believes there is no God. They are vile, their sinfulness nauseating to their Creator; their actions are soiled and repulsive; every deed is depraved; not one of them does good.” (Psalm 14:1 The Voice)

I recently pulled G.K. Chesterton’s “Orthodoxy” off my bookshelf and jumped in with joy. I love his brilliant mind and playful exploration of Christianity. Here’s how one author summarizes Chesterton’s approach:

“Chesterton criticizes modern philosophers for erasing religion. Modern philosophies encourage people to over-analyze everything, including religion, and when we question something too deeply, we stop believing in it. He suggests that Christianity is simple enough to answer life’s questions while mysterious enough to keep us guessing.” (https://www.supersummary.com/orthodoxy/summary/)

As we sit with Psalm 14, we pick up on this same sentiment from David. The foolish person, in an attempt to be wise, actually thinks their way into believing God does not exist. As the psalm continues, the outline of the foolish person is filled in with the following complaints:

• They are corrupt;

• They only think of themselves;

• They turn their backs and walk their own roads;

• They use other people for their own gain;

• They reject the reality of their Creator;

• They laugh at those who put their trust in God;

• They attempt to rationalize and reason away another person’s hope.

The conclusion of this list of grievances, Psalm 14:7, stands as a powerful rejection of this mad form of wisdom which leads to complete abandonment of faith.