Psalm 12: The Faithful Have Vanished. Praying through the Psalms



Psalm 12: The Faithful Have Vanished

Just as Elijah cried out to God in his loneliness in 1 Kings 19, so too does David in Psalm 12. Both men felt they were the only ones left who were still faithful to God. All around them they saw lying, boasting, and deceit, and so they brought it before the only God, the God of justice and righteousness. Psalm 12 is a profound lament that recognizes the breakdown of truth and integrity in society.

There are times in life when we too struggle with loneliness and the wickedness of the world around us. We may go through times and situations where we feel surrounded by hatred, evil, and violence. But we are never alone. God answered Elijah’s cries and told him there were 7000 other faithful servants still in Israel. God promises He will never abandon or forsake His children. We are reassured of this in Psalm 94:14, which says, “For the LORD will not forsake his people; he will not abandon his heritage.”

When we feel alone, we need to bring it to our heavenly Father in prayer. We can ask God to open our eyes to His presence, and help us to find other believers to walk with us. Jesus told Peter, “On this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). There will always be a body of believers, and God is always with us. Trust His promise: “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5).

The Bible often speaks of the power of the tongue. Our tongues can be used for good things, such as prayer and praising God, or they can be used for evil. And while lying, boasting, and deception are evil ways of using the tongue, they stem from a heart and attitude that do not align with God’s word or law. David saw the lies, false flattery, and deception all around him and recognized the evil intentions behind them. David calls out those who have a “double heart”; those who speak falsely to please or manipulate others while hiding deceptive motives. Their tongues say one thing, but their actions and intentions say another. This is a sin against the 9th commandment: “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor" (Exodus 20:16).

 God is a just God, and He will not let evil go unpunished. David also saw the plight of the poor and needy, and laid that too before the LORD. He asked God to guard them and grant them the safety they longed for. “For we know him who said, 'Vengeance is mine, I will repay.' And again, 'The Lord will judge his people'” (Hebrews 10:30).

Though the wicked may seem to prosper, we, like David, can trust in our omnipotent and omnipresent God. He will not allow the wicked to go on forever. Isaiah 13:11 promises, “I will punish the world for its evil, and the wicked for their iniquity.” God keeps His children in His loving care, guarding and guiding us so we can find refuge in Him. We never have to feel alone; God is with us. He will “guard us from this generation forever” (Psalm 12:7).

Praying through the Psalms

Gracious and merciful God, I come before You now because You, O God, are just and wise. You have made all things, and in Your love You graciously protect and defend Your children. The world seems to be filled with liars and deceitful hearts, but You have promised that there will always be a people who are faithful to You. Though unworthy and filled with sin, You have sent Your Son to redeem me, and Your Spirit to fill me with a desire to live for You. Cleanse my heart, O LORD, cover me with the blood of Your Son Jesus Christ, and by Your Spirit, make me willing and eager to live for You. Let me not be overwhelmed by the wicked or fall for the lies of the double-hearted. In Your great compassion, grant me comfort and strength and surround me with Your faithful children. When and where I fall short, graciously forgive me. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

 

Psalm 12: The Faithful Have Vanished

To the choirmaster: according to The Sheminith. A Psalm of David.

12 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 from this generation forever.
8 On every side the wicked prowl, as vileness is exalted among the children of man.

 

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