January 16, 2009
A Christian survival guide in today's world
Psalm 12
John Arms
Central Truth
The Lord is faithful to keep His promise of protection. He protects us from those around us who lie, cheat, and manipulate us for their own gain or for control over us.
Key Verse | Psalm 12:6
The Lord's words are absolutely reliable. They are as untainted as silver purified in a furnace on the ground, where it is thoroughly refined. (Psalms 12:6)
Psalm 12
The Faithful Have Vanished
To the choirmaster: according to The Sheminith. 1 12:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term A Psalm of David.
1
Save, O LORD, for the godly one is gone;
for the faithful have vanished from among the children of man.
2
Everyone utters lies to his neighbor;
with flattering lips and a double heart they speak.
3
May the LORD cut off all flattering lips,
the tongue that makes great boasts,
4
those who say, “With our tongue we will prevail,
our lips are with us; who is master over us?”
5
“Because the poor are plundered, because the needy groan,
I will now arise,” says the LORD;
“I will place him in the safety for which he longs.”
6
The words of the LORD are pure words,
like silver refined in a furnace on the ground,
purified seven times.
7
You, O LORD, will keep them;
you will guard us
2
12:7
Or guard him
from this generation forever.
8
On every side the wicked prowl,
as vileness is exalted among the children of man.
Dive Deeper | Psalm 12
As I am writing this, it is September 2008, and we are in the midst of the Super Bowl of mud-slinging, misinformation, and pandering—our self-induced version of national ethical meltdown—the Presidential election cycle. But is this something new? Not in terms of God's Word to us.
Psalm 12 was likely written during Saul's reign when David saw bad times ahead because lying, deceit, manipulation, and a quest for personal power were rampant in Israel.
In today's terms, a few answers to "what's wrong with our society" might be: the economy; unemployment; the war; issues in health care; and so on. Scripture identifies the causes of bad times differently than most in our culture want to hear. 2 Timothy 3:1-8 explains why tough times shall come. Some of these may sound familiar:
When honest men do not know whom to believe;
When misinformation corrupts, and lies gain favor, control, and power;
When secular ideologues run down God and His believers with contempt, arrogantly asking, "Who is Lord over us?";
When laws and regulations are written that protect wickedness; and
When people in positions of control and power seek to further their own agendas that are contrary to God's plans for people fully devoted to Him.
Thankfully, Scripture tells us that we have an omnipotent "second" in our corner. When times or things seem to weigh us down, our pleas for help and our requests for God to work in our lives do not fall on deaf ears. God is faithful and trustworthy. His words of promise to deliver us are as pure as the finest silver (verse 6). There is nothing that can devalue the inestimable worth of His Word. God will preserve His cadre of believers.
There will be times when we find ourselves speaking what we know to be God's truth even though we may feel it is futile. At those times God will deliver us if we purposefully follow Him. The words of the world are not to be trusted, but God's Word is always trustworthy!
Discussion Questions
1. Are the people in your living or working environment similar to those described in Psalm 12? If so, what can you do to improve it?
2. How would you characterize "bad times" for you?
3. How will you enable God to be the guide in your life today?
4. What are the changes you want to see take place in your life?
5. What are the changes you want to see in our culture?