October 3 - Psalm 12

October 3 - Psalm 12

It isn’t often I laugh out loud when reading a Psalm, but I did this time!  Take a few moments to read through the eight verses of this Psalm and then we’ll talk.

One of the reasons I laughed is that even the ‘godly’ lie and speak with deception from the flattering lips (Psalm 12:1-2).  This type of behavior is no longer relegated to just the ungodly.  Sometimes we’ll say anything to ensure that people like us or think well of us.  No, I’m not talking about telling someone who is trying really hard to do a musical solo that they did a nice job even when you were cringing in your seat. I’m not talking about telling someone they look nice when they ask you if their new outfit makes them look fat.

I’m not even talking about being quiet when your neighbor spouts out political rants that you disagree with or being tolerant of people who live differently than you do.  Sometimes quiet deception is all about caring for people in a real way.  Your brand of truth might be more harmful than helpful.  Please always remember that your measure of the truth, righteousness and goodness might be very different than God’s.  You don’t actually get to tell Him what is right and true.

In fact, this Psalm talks about people who want the world to listen to what they have to say because they speak the loudest.  Verse four says they boast and say, “We will triumph with our tongues; we own our lips – who is our master?”

There are a lot of so-called godly people who believe that they can build their own descriptions of truth, right and wrong, righteousness; thinly based on Biblical teaching and then use those descriptions as weapons to hurt others.

The Lord will not allow that in the end.  These people oppress the weak and the needy.  They re-create perceptions so those people are seen as leeches on society rather than someone who needs help.

In Psalm 12:5b, the Lord says “I will rise up and protect them (the weak and needy) from those who malign them.”

“O Lord, you will keep us safe and protect us from such people forever.  The wicked freely strut about when what is vile is honored among men” (Psalm 12:7-8).

We must constantly be on guard that we don’t corrupt the image of godly men.  If there is any possibility that you are hurting another with your words or your religion, rather than offering grace and mercy much as it has been offered to you; you very well could be honoring vile behavior.