Psalm 14:1 says, “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.”
The word “fool” doesn’t mean someone who’s dumb or doesn’t know better. In the Bible, the word “fool” means someone who knows the truth and chooses to ignore it. The Hebrew word is “Nabal,” and it shows up in a man’s name later in the Bible.
When someone says “there is no God,” it’s not because they’ve studied and found no evidence. It’s because they don’t want God. They say it “in their heart,” which means it’s not always out loud. They just live like God’s not there. It’s not about lack of knowledge—it’s about rebellion.
Romans 1:21-22 ties right in:
“Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God… Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools.”
They knew Him. They just didn’t want Him. That’s what makes them fools.
The fool is wrong in their beliefs and wicked in their actions. It’s not that they don’t believe in God—it’s that they don’t want to believe. They want to sin without feeling guilty.
Now, let’s talk about that name, “Nabal”. You might remember him from 1 Samuel 25. He was married to Abigail. David tried to be nice to him, and Nabal answered back with pride and disrespect. His name means fool, and he lived up to it. The Bible says he was churlish and evil in his doings. Ten days after mocking David, God smote him, and he died.
So when you read Psalm 14:1, don’t just think about atheists. Think about anybody who lives like God doesn’t matter. They may go to church, they may say the right things, but in their heart, they say, “There is no God.” That’s the kind of fool God is warning us about. Let’s make sure we don’t just say we believe—we need to live like we believe.
Because there’s a big difference.
