Written ~ 10-09-2023
Psalm 12:1-8
1 “Help, Oh Lord, for the godly are fast disappearing! The faithful have vanished from the earth!
2 Neighbors lie to each other, speaking with flattering lips and deceitful hearts.
3 May the Lord cut off their flattering lips and silence their boastful tongues.
4 They say, “We will lie to our hearts’ content. Our lips are our own—who can stop us?”
5 The Lord replies, “I have seen violence done to the helpless, and I have heard the groans of the poor. Now I will rise up to rescue them, as they have longed for me to do.”
6 The Lord’s promises are pure, like silver refined in a furnace, purified seven times over.
7 Therefore, Lord, we know you will protect the oppressed, preserving them forever from this lying generation, 8 even though the wicked strut about, and evil is praised throughout the land.”
With everything that is going on in the world today, these verses seem to speak the truths of this very generation. Political agendas are all over the place, Israel has declared war with the Hamas and many Christians have become lukewarm in their walk with the Lord. As time goes on we will see the persecution of the Church increase, violence towards the innocent will intensify and our young people won’t have a clue who Jesus Christ is.
So, what are we to do?
Cling to verse 12:6,
“The Lord’s promises are pure, like silver refined in a furnace, purified seven times over.”
The Scriptures are filled with the Lord’s promises, they are given to us so we can remain firm in our walk with the Lord no matter what is going on around us. We must rely on God’s Word to get us through.
The Message Translation (MSG) puts our verses today in a really neat perspective…
1-2 “Quick, God, I need your helping hand! The last decent person just went down, all the friends I depended on, gone. Everyone talks in lie language; lies slide off their oily lips. They double-talk with forked tongues.
3-4 Slice their lips off their faces! Pull The braggart tongues from their mouths! I’m tired of hearing, “We can talk anyone into anything! Our lips manage the world.”
5 Into the hovels of the poor, into the dark streets where the homeless groan, God speaks: “I’ve had enough; I’m on my way to heal the ache in the heart of the wretched.”
6-8 God’s words are pure words, pure silver words refined seven times in the fires of His word-kiln, pure on earth as well as in heaven. God, keep us safe from their lies, from the wicked who stalk us with lies, from the wicked who collect honors for their wonderful lies.”
As we see the troubles of the world increase, does that mean we should sink into a pit of despair? Absolutely not! We have the Almighty God on our side! There will always be people in this world who are deceitful, prideful and want nothing more than to take you down. But with Jesus Christ walking beside you, He will fight those battles right along side you. When you feel like everything is crashing in around you, friends are slipping away and your family is crumbling, remember that when you gave your life to Jesus Christ, He now has your back! Look at John 16:33 in the NLT,
“I have told you all this so that you may have Peace in Me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But, take heart, because I have overcome the world.”
Now look at it in The Message (MSG),
“I’ve told you all this so that by trusting Me, you will be unshakeable and assured, deeply at peace. In this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties. But take heart! I have conquered the world!”
It may seem that all we see around us is destruction, homelessness, anger and anything but peace. God is not saying we should stay in a “Christian Bubble,” and not pay attention to what is happening in the world. But God is saying that He has everything under His control. And He will help when His people cry out. One of the greatest tasks a believer can do is pray for those around them, but also when we see a need that we can help with, then help!
There is going to be evil in this world. There will be people whose nature it is to lie, cheat and steal. There are people whose lives have gone in the direction of darkness and they either don’t want to escape it, or don’t know how. When a person is separated from God, the prince of this world, Satan, is the one who steps in and takes control. If you have not given your heart and life over to the Lord Jesus Christ, then the reality is… your lord is Satan. Whether you believe that or not, it is truth. In Luke 11:23 in The Message (MSG) it says,
Jesus is saying… “This is war, and there is no neutral ground. If you’re not on My side, you’re the enemy; if you’re not helping, you’re making things worse.”
Same verse New Living Translation (NLT),
“Anyone who isn’t with Me opposes Me, and anyone who isn’t working with Me is actually working against Me.”
So, it’s important to understand, becoming a born again believer and accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior, means you will be on the right side of the battle! What is the battle you might ask? This evil world we live in is the battleground! So the decision is yours, do you want to be floundering about, fearful and maybe even angry or distraught at what you see going on in the world? Or do you want to be “unshakeable, and assured, deeply at peace?”
If you have made the decision already and Jesus Christ is your Lord and Savior, you already know how your battles have been won through the Power of the Almighty God! But, if you have not come to the decision to make Jesus your Lord and Savior, the time is now. The world will continue to be an evil place. Why not step over to the winning side!
If your heart is telling you it’s time, pray the following prayer and step into life with Jesus.
Dear Jesus, You know my heart, all the things I have done and said. Please forgive me for my unbelief. Please forgive me for all of my sins. I believe You are the Son of God. I believe You came to earth to die on the cross for my sins. I believe You rose from the dead to give me freedom from sin and death. By faith through believing in Who You Are, I accept You as my Lord and Savior. Come into my life, cleanse this heart of mine, white as snow. Help me not to doubt any longer and breathe life into me, fill me with Your light. Thank You Jesus! Amen.
If you solemnly prayed this prayer, tell at least one person, so they can share in your joy!! I rejoice with you! All the angels in Heaven rejoice with you! And just as Jesus said, “Peace be with you.”
~AMEN~