Read | Psalm 14:1–7
For the choir director. Of David.
The fool says in his heart, “There’s no God.”
They are corrupt; they do vile deeds.
There is no one who does good.
The LORD looks down from heaven on the human race
to see if there is one who is wise,
one who seeks God.
All have turned away;
all alike have become corrupt.
There is no one who does good,
not even one.
Will evildoers never understand?
They consume my people as they consume bread;
they do not call on the LORD.
Then they will be filled with dread,
for God is with those who are righteous.
You sinners frustrate the plans of the oppressed,
but the LORD is his refuge.
Oh, that Israel’s deliverance would come from Zion!
When the LORD restores the fortunes of his people,
let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad.
Click here to listen to the Scripture in ESV.
The psalmist says that “the fool” denies God. Adam and Eve played “the fool” when they functionally, by their actions, denied God in the Garden of Eden. Are you functionally denying God? In other words, are there areas in your life where you live as if there is no God?
How does the final verse (last stanza) of this psalm spark joy in you?
Focus
Read this devotional about the upcoming Sunday sermon’s passage’s connection to the whole story of Scripture from Kraig McNutt, a Story of Scripture team member. Would you like to learn more about how to see the whole Bible as one story? Join us on January 30 and 31 for the Story of Scripture at the Olathe Campus. Sign up HERE.
Devotional on The Fall - Genesis 3:1–24 by Kraig McNutt
So the LORD God called out to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” (Genesis 3:9)
I still remember reading the account of the Fall for the first time when I was about twelve years old. I hadn’t grown up in Sunday School. My only exposure to church was the occasional Catholic Mass—in Latin, of all things. But even as a boy, when I read Genesis 3 and saw Adam and Eve fall, something in me recognized the story. I didn’t know theology, but I knew what it felt like to disobey, get caught, and want to disappear. When I got in trouble at school or fought with my brothers, the instinct was always the same: hide, run, avoid.
In the 1960s, I watched The Quick Draw McGraw Show. Snagglepuss was a recurring character—pink, overly dramatic, and always ready to evade trouble. Whenever things got uncomfortable, he’d say, “Exit, stage left even!” and vanish as if leaving the scene erased the problem. I didn’t know it then, but that’s Genesis 3 in cartoon form. After Adam and Eve sinned, they tried to “exit, stage left.” And if we’re honest, we all have a little Snagglepuss in us.
Genesis 3 reminds us that God doesn’t let us slip away into the bushes without a word. Just as he spoke order into chaos in the opening chapter of Genesis, he still speaks into the chaos of broken relationships. God calls out, “Where are you?”—not because he lacks information, but because we do. He asks questions to expose what we’re hiding—the false narrative we tell ourselves or the blame we shift onto others. He disrupts our hiding because he loves us too much to leave us curled up in the shadows. His voice doesn’t crush; it reveals.
The chapter also reminds us that sin rarely ends with the act itself. Like a stone thrown into a pond, the ripples spread outward—into marriages, families, vocations, and even creation itself. Sometimes those ripples feel more like tidal waves. While we can’t control the consequences, we can choose our response: daily repentance, naming what is true, and trusting his mercy.
And here’s the good news: God never abandons us. Instead of accepting our evasions, he invites honesty and clothes our shame. By stepping out from behind the trees in repentance, we flourish as his image bearers because he promises restoration.
Pray
Ask God to draw you out of hiding and into honest relationship.
Gracious Father, when you ask, “Where are you?” help me answer truthfully. Reveal the places where I hide, blame, or avoid. Give me courage to step into the light of your presence. Clothe my shame with your mercy, and teach me the freedom that comes through repentance and trust.
Going Deeper
If you are also following the BibleProject’s One Story That Leads to Jesus reading plan, complete today’s reading.
