The Need for God

Today we are diving into Psalm 14, where David describes how people do not live in a way that shows that God exists. Yet, if we are true disciples of Jesus, we need to make sure that we are living our lives in a way that shows He does exist. We are going to look at the topic of our need for God. Would you join me in prayer before we get started?

God, we need You. You know our hearts and our natural tendencies, but we want to live in a way that is pleasing to You. Help us to open our hearts and minds to hear Your truths today and to apply them to our lives. Thank You for always being there when we need You. Amen.

Psalm 14 (NLT)
1 Only fools say in their hearts,

    “There is no God.”

They are corrupt, and their actions are evil;
    not one of them does good!
2 The Lord looks down from heaven

    on the entire human race;

he looks to see if anyone is truly wise,

    if anyone seeks God.

3 But no, all have turned away;

    all have become corrupt.[a]

No one does good,

    not a single one!
4 Will those who do evil never learn?

    They eat up my people like bread

    and wouldn’t think of praying to the Lord.

5 Terror will grip them,

    for God is with those who obey him.

6 The wicked frustrate the plans of the oppressed,

    but the Lord will protect his people.
7 Who will come from Mount Zion to rescue Israel?

   When the Lord restores his people,

    Jacob will shout with joy, and Israel will rejoice.

It is hard to imagine living each and every day of this life on earth and not having God in it. I think that is why David calls those who say that there is no God a “fool,” because it is hard to imagine going through life without Him. It is almost impossible to look at the miracles that have happened and not see God in them. To look back at what you’ve come through and who you are today and not see how God’s hand was in it all. Can you see that? Can you look back and see how God has worked in your life to get you to the point where you are now?

Naturally, we are sinners. We are sinners whose humanity gets the best of us almost daily. We are imperfect. We are always in need of His mercy and forgiveness. We all fall short. We will not and cannot meet His standards on our own. Jesus is the only one who ever has or ever will meet that standard. That is where I think the “fools” David is describing in our passage today could be us too. It could be us if we are relying on ourselves more than God. Do you find yourself relying on yourself to fix situations in your life? Or are you going to God with those?

If we truly desire to love God and to be His disciples, we need Him. Our need for God is so immense. That is why David said we are considered fools if we don’t believe God exists. We cannot get through this life without Him. God is with those who submit to the fact that they are sinners who will never meet His standards. He is with those who humble themselves because of this, and who realize that they are sinners in need of a Savior. The only way that we meet those standards is because of what Jesus did on the cross. That is why we need Him! That is also why we need to take the time to honestly look at our lives to ensure that if we are truly calling ourselves disciples of Jesus, we are truly seeking God in everything we do.

In every aspect of our lives, we need Jesus. Take time and talk with God about how much you need Him, and search your heart to make sure you are truly seeking God in everything. Below are some prompts to get you started.

Lord, I pray that You help me to put myself aside and to lean into Your truths…

God, help me to realize the magnitude of my need for You…

God, I am so grateful You sent Jesus to this earth so that I can spend eternity with You…

My prayer for you today is that you are able to lean into God more and more. I hope you are able to see just how much you need Him and you go after Him with your entire heart.