Quick–eyed Love

Psalm 33

"Behold, the Lord's eyes are on those...who abide in His love." —Psalm 33:18

I think of those portraits in which the subject’s eyes follow us around the room. So it is with God’s kindly gaze.

That’s because, by faith, we have become His beloved children and good fathers always keep an eye on their children. (They can pick them out of a crowd.)

God took a hard road to show the extent of His love. “He died for desire of us." The Cross is the show of his affection.

Such devotion would be worrying if I had to do something to earn it or keep it, but all God asks is that I bask in his love. 

Love bade me welcome. Yet my soul drew back 

                              Guilty of dust and sin.

But quick-eyed Love, observing me grow slack 

                             From my first entrance in,

Drew nearer to me, sweetly questioning,

                             If I lacked any thing.

A guest, I answered, worthy to be here:

                             Love said, You shall be he.

I the unkind, ungrateful? Ah my dear,

                             I cannot look on thee.

Love took my hand, and smiling did reply,

                             Who made the eyes but I?

Truth Lord, but I have marred them: let my shame

                             Go where it doth deserve.

And know you not, says Love, who bore the blame?

                             My dear, then I will serve.

You must sit down, says Love, and taste my meat:

                             So I did sit and eat. …

—“Love (III),” George Herbert

David Roper

In the Morning

Psalm 30

Weeping may tarry for the night,

but joy comes with the morning —Psalm 30:5b

“Life is suffering,” Buddhists say and almost everyone else who looks at life realistically. Some sorrow can be alleviated and some cannot. Some sadness may follow us to the grave. 

What can we say about wounds that do not heal? 

The "morning" that  the psalmist envisions is that “great gettin'-up  morning,” or so I believe, when Love will call us home, when sorrow and sadness will flee away. ”Weeping may tarry for the night,” but this is not forever.

That idea alone, turns my "mourning into dancing” this morning. My feet, like Snoopy’s start  tapping...

David Roper

12.19.19

Becoming a Man

Psalm 27

“Be manly. Be made strong; wait for the LORD!” —Psalm 27:14

This is a pep talk David gave to himself. (The verbs are singular.)

Paul paraphrases this text, putting a precise spin on the words: "Be manly, be made strong; Let all that you do be done in love" (1 Corinthians 16:13, 14). 

If you were to ask me why I'm a follower of Jesus I'd be hard-pressed to name all the reasons, but one resides right here: I follow Jesus because I want to become a man.

Clap me on the back and say, "Be a man," and I will square my shoulders and try to man up, for no one has to tell me what it means to be a man. Men are "trustworthy, loyal, helpful, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent," to pull up the old Boy Scout Code. They are “physically strong, mentally alert and morally straight.” 

Paul adds another trait: Men are loving, which, as it turns out, is the greatest show of strength and the most important attribute of all (Cf. 1 Corinthians 13).

I know what I ought to be and I want to do better, but I need help. That's where God comes in. “Let your heart be strengthened (passive voice); wait for the Lord.” I must ask him to make me into the man I want to be. This is my prayer, all through the day.

“Waiting,” however, implies delay. It takes time to become a man—indeed, a lifetime. I'm still waiting to get there.

David Roper

12.16.19

God, My Judge

Psalm 26

“God be my judge..."—Psalm 26:1a

When challenged, David refused to justify himself and appealed to a higher court: “God, (you) be my judge!"

This is the secret of independence from the opinions of others as Paul learned through the criticism he endured: “But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. For I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me. Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God" (1Corinthians 4:3–5.).

Any assessment of ourselves is as irrelevant as that of our friends and foes. "It is the Lord that judges." Any other judgment is presumptuous (final judgment is a job for God) and premature ("before the time".) 

It's good to ask God for a check-up now and then—"Prove me, O LORD, and try me; test my heart and my mind" (26:2)—but I must not spend time rummaging around in my soul. I must rather ask God to judge me. If I'm off course he will let me know. Satan fills us with vague thoughts of wrong-doing, and free-floating guilt; God's judgments are unequivocally clear.

In the meantime I can forget about myself and the opinions of others and get on with the business of following Jesus. 

What a relief that is! 

David Roper

Exposure

Psalm 25

"For your name's sake, O Lord, pardon my guilt, for it is great" (Psalm 25:11).

These are the words of a man whose eyes were "ever on the Lord" (25:15). Yet, he was aware of "great" guilt, a nexus that, at first, surprises us. It must be that the more we see of God the more we see ourselves. 

I think of days past when my father plowed fields that had never been cultivated. On the first pass the plowshare would expose large, previously unnoticed rocks that he hauled away. Then, he would plow the field again, and then again, to further break up the soil. With each pass the plow turned up other, smaller rocks that he cast aside. 

Growth in grace is a similar process: When we first begin to follow Jesus, "big" sins, mostly sins of the flesh, occupy our thoughts. But as the years pass by us and God's word passes through us, other sins rise to the surface.  

Sins of the spirit once thought to be mere peccadilloes—pride, prejudice, self-pity, pettiness, spite, self-accommodating indulgence and the like—are revealed as the ruinous attitudes and actions that they are. God reveals each sin so that he can, in due time, cast it aside. 

Humbling exposure, though painful, is good for the soul. It's one of the ways by which He "instructs sinners in the way" (25;8). There is no other way to grow. 

I asked the Lord that I might grow

In faith and love and every grace, 

Might more of His salvation know, 

And seek more earnestly His face. 

‘Twas He who taught me thus to pray, 

And He, I trust, has answered prayer, 

But it has been in such a way 

As almost drove me to despair. 

I hoped that in some favored hour 

At once He’d answer my request 

And, by His love’s constraining pow’r, 

Subdue my sins and give me rest. 

Instead of this, He made me feel 

The hidden evils of my heart 

And let the angry pow’rs of hell 

Assault my soul in ev’ry part. 

Yea, more with His own hand He seemed 

Intent to aggravate my woe, 

Crossed all the fair designs I schemed, 

Humbled my heart and laid me low. 

“Lord, why is this,” I trembling cried; 

“Wilt Thou pursue Thy worm to death?” 

“’Tis in this way,” the Lord replied, 

“I answer prayer for grace and faith.” 

“These inward trials I employ 

From self and pride to set thee free 

And break thy schemes of earthly joy 

That thou may’st find thy all in Me.” —John Newman

David Roper

All Things Great and Small

Psalm 24

The earth is the Lord's and all that fills it…” —Psalm 24:1

Everything belongs to God. It’s his because he made it, redeems it  and maintains it (24:1,2).  

It follows then, since we’re God’s children, that the earth  is ours as well. As confirmation, Paul writes: "All things are yours whether...the world or life or death or the present or the future" (1 Corinthians 3:22). In another place he argues that even food that’s been offered to pagan idols is ours to enjoy: “Eat whatever is sold in the meat market," and then he quotes this psalm (24) for support: "for 'the earth is the Lord's, and all that fills it”  (1Corinthians 10:25).

To be sure, we can exploit and ruin what God has made. We can use creation in the wrong way or harm someone in our use of it, but in and of itself, creation is part of the good that God created. Paul put the principle simply: “Everything created by God is good and nothing is to be refused…” (1 Timothy 4:4).

There was only one forbidden tree in the garden and that for good reason: It was toxic. He has given us every other "tree" to enjoy. God invented pleasure, fun, joy and laughter for His children and for their delight.

So go for it! Live large! "Rejoice in your youth, and let your heart cheer you...remove vexation from your heart" (Ecclesiastes 11:9, 10). (Why are young men and women always bummed out?) Find delight in all that God has created.

But in your delight, “Remember Your Creator" (Ecclesiastes 12:1). Don't forget the God who loves you. Stay close to Him. He's where all the goodness comes from.

David Roper

Today and Tomorrow

Psalm 23

"Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my present life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord in all the days that stretch beyond ("through stretched out days"). —Psalm 23:6

Heaven is home. It’s not that heaven is somewhat like home. It is home. Our earthly homes are signs or reflections of home, primitive symbols of warmth, love, togetherness, and familiarity. The ultimate reality is our Father’s house where eternal love awaits us; where we’re gathered in, included. "Home is the place where, when you go there, they have to take you in,” Robert Frost said.

I read about Odysseus, the Flying Dutchman, Frodo, and E.T., and I too want to go home, to that place where we will cease “to break our wings against the faultiness of things,” where everything works out for good.

So many things go wrong here; nothing will go wrong there. Nothing will go missing; nothing will go up in smoke; nothing will go down the drain. Heaven is God’s answer to Murphy’s Law

There's always been a bit of homesickness in me, a longing for that elusive "something more." Now I know it's a hankering for the Father's house and my eternal home. 

Home from my wayward wanderings, 

Home from the cold foreign clime, 

Home, to the arms of my Father.

Where I am His and He is mine. —Oswald Chambers

In the meantime, while we wait for that day, God's goodness and love will follow us, guarding us from our worst instincts, cleaning up the messes we leave behind, giving us faith, hope and love for the journey. He has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you"; Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus my Lord.

"Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow!" Who could ask for anything more?

David Roper

The Help That God provides

Psalm 22

 

Hasten to help Me; save Me from the sword (death) ...

You answered Me. —Psalm 22:20,21

 

David. in this poem. describes Jesus' crucifixion with startling precision a thousand years before the Cross. But more startling is his cry, "Save me,” and this assurance: “(God) answered me." Yet Jesus suffered and died on the cross. 

 

The author of Hebrews repeats this odd juxtaposition: "(Jesus) in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death...was heard because of His godly fear (Hebrews 5:7).  Jesus “was heard," yet He suffered and died on the cross.

 

Does God hear us when we call for help? Of  course he does, but the help he provides is not always deliverance from trouble. 

 

Sometimes He calms the storm
With a whispered peace be still
He can settle any sea,
But it doesn't mean He will.

Sometimes He holds us close,
And lets the wind and waves go wild;
Sometimes He calms the storm,
And at other times His child. —Scott Krippayne

 

God’s help may come in the form of grace to pass through the trial with calm repose, a rest that tranquilizers, relaxation techniques, positive thinking, and mystical forms of contemplation cannot duplicate. Jesus called it, “my peace,” an inexplicable peace that defies rational explanation (Philippians 4:7).

 

The wisest of men and women have always known that we grow wise by passing through stress and trouble: God "delivers the afflicted by their affliction and opens their ear by adversity” (Job. 36:15). He delivers us from foolishness by trouble if we take advantage of it, or, as the author of Hebrews would say, if we're "trained by it" (Hebrews 12:11).

 

And what is our part in this regimen? Mary’s “Fiat” ("Let it be").

 

In acceptance lieth peace,

O my heart be still;

Let thy restless worries cease

And accept His will.

Though this test be not thy choice,

It is His—therefore rejoice. 

 

In His plan there cannot be

Aught to make thee sad:

If this is His choice for thee,

Take it and be glad.

Make from it some lovely thing

To the glory of thy King.

 

Cease from sighs and murmuring,

Sing His loving grace,

This thing means thy furthering

To a wealthy place.

From thy fears He'll give release:

In  acceptance lieth peace.  —Hannah Hunnard 

 

David Roper

Thanksgiving Thoughts: 11.28.19

Picture This

I’ve seen them. You’ve seen them. Those pictures in magazines, on television ads and possibly in the Hallmark movies. The perfect family sitting around the perfectly appointed table which is groaning with all the perfect food anyone could imagine. This is Thanksgiving! Or so we are told...and sold.

As I’ve pondered my own expectations of Thanksgiving some thoughts come to mind. These are truths I want to remember. This is how, by God’s grace and enabling, I want to picture Thanksgiving.

What’s Essential—
Jesus is as clear on this today as He was when He spoke kindly to Martha, His good friend and hostess. “Only one thing is necessary...that you sit at My feet and learn of Me.”

The pressure of time will always make me face my priorities. As I make time to look to Him, to listen to Him, He will show and tell me how to respond this Thanksgiving—in traffic, in the kitchen, when X – (the unexpected) - happens, when the help isn’t there, when disappointments loom.

It’s essential that I prepare my heart and soul in His presence, depending on Him to work in and through me for His good pleasure and for my good. I can then carry in my heart His words and His ways. I can practice His presence in any situation.


Who’s Coming— 
 Each person I encounter at a gathering is made in the image of God, no exceptions.

 Each person I encounter is close to me by God’s grace for a purpose in my life and for a purpose in his or her life. No exceptions.

Jesus is the unseen guest at every table. He said, “I will be with you every day, even unto the end of the age.”  He looks at each one with gentle eyes and a welcoming heart. No exceptions.


What’s The Seating Arrangement—
 Jesus has told me where to sit. He says to “take the lower seat.”

So why do I mind if someone gives it to me, either at the table, in conversation or in attitude?  I will always have a table companion because when I take the lower way, it’s His way too. My soul can silently converse with Him in a crowded room or when I am all alone. Or feel all alone. This I want to picture and remember.


What’s The Menu—
The traditional thanksgiving menu goes way back.

In the time of Moses “all ate the same spiritual food; and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was Christ.”

Paul, pictures this meal in more detail when he reminds the Corinthians that “The Lord Jesus, in the night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, ‘This is My body, which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.’ In the same way He took the cup also...saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.’ For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.”

This spiritual meal is available to all, no matter what other fare is before us on Thanksgiving Day.  Again and again I may eat and drink of the spiritual supply God has provided by the sacrifice of His son. Jesus says, “Come!”

And no matter if this Thanksgiving Day provides all I have longed for in family, the meal and the trimmings, or conversely if I have what I don’t want or want what I don’t have, my spiritual food and drink today is a foretaste of the feast I will enjoy forever in God’s Kingdom.  Because of the sacrifice of Jesus.

Remembering the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus, is the ultimate reason for me to give thanks on Thanksgiving Day and every day.

Gratefully in the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit,

Carolyn Roper

The Secret of a Happy Home

Psalm 128

Blessed (Happy) is the man who fears the Lord,

who walks in his ways!

You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands;

you shall be blessed (happy), and it shall be well with you.

Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; 

your children will be like olive shoots around your table.

Behold, thus shall the man be blessed (happy)

who fears the Lord —Psalm 128:1-4

A happy home, made happy by the "fear of the Lord." 

“The fear of the Lord" is not craven fear, but “a love that fears to grieve.” In practical terms it means that we listen to God and take him seriously. As the parallel line suggests, we “walk in His ways." 

"Walking in God's ways," means that we listen to what God has to say and heed the voice that says to us, "This is the way.”

What a marvelous simplification: “The fear of the Lord.” The secret of a happy home.

David Roper

11.28.19

True Truth

Psalm 19

"The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork" (Psalm 19:1).

I hear the stars singing about their maker:

In Reason’s Ear they all rejoice, 

and utter forth a glorious voice;  

Forever singing, as they shine,  

"The Hand that made us is Divine."  —Joseph Addison 

Creation reveals the beauty and deity of God and his artistry, but, being fallen, sends mixed messages: Nature can be beautiful and benevolent, but it’s also "red in tooth and claw.” Thus the environment is incomplete and incongruent. To know God fully I must listen to what he has to say.

Thus the psalmist leads us to consider God’s actual words: They are perfect, pure, right, clean and true, or, as we would say, true truth—an objective, eternal standard. The Hebrew word for truth is emeth, a noun formed from a verb that means “to be firm” and emphasizes reliability and permanence. 

Emeth is that which does not change. It is found in the writings of the apostles and prophets of the Old and New Testament and fully in Jesus who said of himself, “I am truth” (John ).

In our day the idea of absolute, eternal truth is anathema to the politically correct, who, like Pontius Pilot keep asking the same, cynical question: “What is truth?—while he stands right in front of them. 

Where should the unknown treasures of the truth

Lie, but there whence the truth comes out the most—In the Son of man, folded in love and ruth (compassion) —George MacDonald

David Roper

11.26.19 

God's Delight

Psalm 18

"He brought me out into a broad place; he rescued me, because he delights in me" (Psalm 18:19).

I remember Saturday mornings, sprawled on the floor with our boys, watching a grainy, black and white, RCA television set,  and singing the Mouse Club song along with the Mouseketeers:

Now it's time to say goodbye

To all our company.

M-I-C (See you real soon),

K-E-Y (Why? Because we like you);

M-O-U-S-E.

The song gets in your head. I used to sing it all through the day and I sang it again this morning when I read this psalm. 

Why does God like me? Well, because He likes me and for no other reason. It's not that I'm young and vigorous, strong and able, rich and famous, smart and clever, or tall, dark and handsome—which is a very good thing because I'm not, have never been, and will never be any of those things. God likes me because I am... me. 

What’s more, God’s delight precedes my being! Before I could do anything good or bad He liked me—no, he loved me. What are the chances now, based on my current behavior, that He will remove his affection? "It is not love that alters when it alteration finds."

God loves me freely—though at what cost to himself only the cross will reveal. And what does He ask of me? To say, "I love You too.”

I think of an old poem:

Isn’t it odd

That a being like God

Who sees the façade

Still loves the clod

He made out of sod?

Now isn’t that odd?

Odd indeed.

David Roper

Satisfaction

Psalm 17

Arise, O LORD. Deliver me...

from men of the world whose portion is in this life.

You fill their belly with treasure;

they are satisfied with children,

And they leave their abundance to their infants.

As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness;

when I awake, I shall be satisfied with your likeness.

—Psalm 17:13-15

David considers secular man (“men of the world”) whose portion is “in this life.” They have all they want. They are "satisfied." Here again is the old question: Why do the ungodly prosper in this life?

Well... that's exactly the point: Their portion is “in this life.” and when they die they leave it all to their heirs. (As Chuck Swindoll points out, you never see a U-Haul behind a hearse.) 

"As for me," David says, "I shall behold your face in righteousness—a man fully formed ('like him!'). When I awake (from death) I shall be satisfied with your likeness." 

The men of this world accumulate this world’s goods but they will leave them behind. As for me, I have God’s love and I will have it forever! 

Oh God of love; an unfathomed sea;

Who would not give himself to Thee? —John Wesley

David Roper

11.17.19

God, My Good

Psalm 16

“I say to the Lord, ‘You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you…’” (Psalm 16:2).

This is the integrated life: All faculties united to one end—knowing and loving God, our highest good. This is the answer to David’s prayer: “Unite my heart to worship You" (Psalm 86:11). 

David said to the Lord: "You the portion of my inheritance and my cup. You hold my lot. The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance"(16:5,6).

Israel's priests possessed no land, but were given God as their inheritance (Numbers 18:20). So David's “portion” and mine is God himself, our true homeland. "The eternal God is my dwelling place." Indeed, "the (boundary) lines have fallen to me in pleasant places."

God "holds" my portion. No one can snatch it out of my Father's hands. Nothing belongs to me here; anything can be taken away. But I have God and his love forever.

And finally, when my life's work is over, He "will not abandon my soul to Sheol, nor will he let his loved one see corruption” (16:10). For Gods children, the "path of life" leads to Heaven, our eternal home where we will enjoy his love forever. Indeed, "in his presence there is fullness of joy; at his right hand are pleasures forevermore" (16:11)

For thee I delightfully employ

what e'er thy bounteous grace hath given;

and run my course with even joy,

and closely walk with thee to heaven. —Charles Wesley

David Roper

Thanksgiving Thoughts 11.14.1

From Carolyn

Good Morning, Friends,

This morning I am especially thankful for three things: my hymn book, Alexa and my iPad. 

Every morning I look forward to my time of listening, reflecting and getting to open my heart to God, often after hearing His heart to me through the written Word and the Spirit. Today I was reading something written by a fellow pilgrim. Her thoughts triggered in my mind the words of an old hymn, Just As I Am. Of course I could not remember all the words so I reached for my hymnal (Yes, I have one!), checked the listing of the songs, and turned to the page I wanted. The message was even better than I remembered. (I am thankful that as a child I had the opportunity to hear the same hymns over and over and over so they stuck with me all these years. Truth down the ages.)

Then, I asked Alexa to play the hymn for me. With a bit of prompting, Alexa came up with a simple but clear version by Alan Jackson. I loved it and hope it will resonate all day in my mind. (I am sure there are other versions out there on YouTube. Just as I am thankful for old hymns I am also thankful for new inventions, especially the ones David has helped me figure out.)

After listening to the song, I reached for my iPad, found Wikipedia and read the fascinating story of the song’s author, Charlotte Elliot who wrote back in the 1800s. ( I am thankful that while the church is trying to figure out the best way to use women’s gifts, women’s gifts have always been used by our creative God.) Here is Charlotte’s hymn that God used to give me a thankful, joyful heart today:

JUST AS I AM

Just as I am, without one plea,
But that Thy blood was shed for me,
And that Thou bidst me come to Thee,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, and waiting not
To rid my soul of one dark blot,
To Thee whose blood can cleanse each spot,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, though tossed about
With many a conflict, many a doubt,
Fightings and fears within, without,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, poor, wretched, blind;
Sight, riches, healing of the mind,
Yea, all I need in Thee to find,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, Thou wilt receive,
Wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve;
Because Thy promise I believe,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, Thy love unknown
Hath broken every barrier down;
Now, to be Thine, yea, Thine alone,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

As I soaked a while in the truth conveyed in these words Charlotte Elliot penned so many years ago, and as I read her story, I realized that this song says as much about about the Lamb of God as it does about me. That fact is so important to me because if I fail to see His welcoming heart, opened to me by the “precious blood of the Lamb,” then I might think I have to clean up my act to come to Him. In truth His love has “broken down every barrier” and on that basis and promise I can “dare to draw near,” as Hebrews put it.

Also this song is not just for those who want to come for the first time, but for me. Each moment I am invited to come, even when I don’t feel His presence, even when I’m down...or up, even when I have become aware of a failure to love or to see another as He sees that one. In the joy of His help or in the “fightings and fears within, without,” Jesus invites me to come. It is He, the Lamb of God, who “will welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve!” My assurance is based on His shed blood and His promise. Not on my feelings or performance.

Now my thanksgivings are piled higher and higher as I remember I am welcomed and loved by this Lamb of God. The same Lamb who wept over the folks in Jerusalem when they would not come to Him. The same Lamb who was waiting with a beach breakfast prepared by nail pierced Hands, prepared for those disciples who had all run away in times of extreme fear. The same Lamb who is waiting and who knocks on the door of every heart, even mine when I have “forgotten my first love.”

O Lamb of God, how I thank You for this welcoming invitation. Your heart is an open heart, waiting and wanting each of us to get to know You better. To taste and see that You are good. Our task is to come.  You are the One who transforms as we linger in Your presence. Thank You Lamb of God for making a way for us, Jesus, in Whose Name we do come.
With a song in my most thankful heart,

Carolyn

A Man In Full

Psalm 15

Lord, who abides in Your tabernacle?

Who dwells in Your holy mountain?

He who walks uprightly... —Psalm 15:1

David's question has to do with dwelling with God rather than gaining access to his mountain, for who of us can say that we “walk uprightly.” No, these are the traits God has promised to develop in those who dwell with him. 

Put another way, this is not what we bring to the table (or the mountain), but what He is bringing to us, so that we, by His grace, may become "fit for the Kingdom of God."

And what is God bringing to us? Authenticity, in a word. He's turning us into children that reflect the character of their Father—truthful, trustworthy, loving, honest, honorable, friendly, faithful, generous, gentle, stable and strong. Men and women that ring true (15:2-5).

That's one reason I follow Jesus. Not because I'm religious, because I am not, but because He is determined to make me into the kind of man I've always wanted to be—“a man fully alive.” 

David Roper

The Fool

Psalm 14

The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”

They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds;

there is none who does good.—Psalm 14:1

The “fool," in biblical parlance, is not an ignoramus, but a rebel. Radical unbelief is rarely a sincere, misguided choice; it is a gesture of defiance. (I think of poor, sad, aging, mostly forgotten Madonna and the cross she wears. It is, by her own admission, a symbol of her contempt for the Church.)

The result of this rebellion is moral and intellectual suicide: Those who fend off God become corrupted and can produce nothing beautiful" (The Hebrew word "good" suggests aesthetic as well as ethical good, which explains why the entertainment industry and other contemporary media are not only corrupt, but banal and lacking in imagination. (As someone has pointed out, “‘medium’ is exactly the right designation, for the television and movie industry for they neither rare nor well-done.) "Claiming to be wise, they become fools" (Romans 1:22).

Radical unbelief is a fool's choice. It has little to do with the intellect, which is why apologetics and argumentation have almost no effect on those who have chosen to turn their faces away from God. 

What then will turn them around? When they see that "God is with the generation of the righteous" (14:5). Put another way, when they see the beauty of Jesus in you and in me.

David Roper

11.8.19