Psalm 53 Devotional

Said Twice for a Reason

“All have turned away, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.”Psalm 53:3 (BSB)

Psalm 53 is nearly the same as Psalm 14. Scripture gives this diagnosis of the human heart twice. The fool decides inwardly that God does not exist (53:1). God searches from heaven for anyone who understands or seeks him, and finds that all have turned away; no one does good, not one (53:2-3). Evildoers devour God's people as easily as bread and never call on him (53:4).

Where Psalm 14 speaks of God as a refuge for the poor, this psalm shows the enemy's collapse. The attackers are gripped by terror with no real threat in sight, and God scatters their bones (53:5). The psalm ends longing for salvation to come out of Zion (53:6). If no one seeks God on their own, salvation has to come from his side. Paul says that is exactly what happened: God proved his love when Christ died for people who were still sinners, not after they improved (Romans 5:8). No one is found because they searched well. They are found because God came looking.

To think about: How does it change your view of yourself to know that God sought you before you ever sought him?