Psalms To See Me Through: Psalm 12 God Is A Helper Against The Treacherous

  For the choir director; upon an eight-stringed lyre. A Psalm of David.

Help, Lord, for the godly man ceases to be, for the faithful disappear from among the sons of men. v.1

The world is full of so much evil, sometimes it’s hard to see the good. It is easy to feel as though we are the only righteous ones left. One other righteous man of God felt the same way when he was faced with a very evil king and queen, and five-hundred of their prophets. Elijah faced off with those five-hundred on Mt. Carmel and the God of Heaven answered him by fire. But one threat by Jezebel in retaliation sent Elijah running for his life. Words can frighten. He hides in the desert, afraid for his life; overwhelmed by his circumstances. God finally asks him, “Elijah, what are you doing here?” Has God ever asked you that question? He has me; too many times. Too many times I have felt overwhelmed with my circumstances, wondering how long I will have to endure. God knew what Elijah was doing; he was hiding. I hide. You hide. It is time for us to come out of our cave. God’s Words are comforting.

Elijah answers,

I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the sons of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars and killed Your prophets with the sword. And I alone am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.” 1 Kings 19:14 NASB

It is so easy to feel like we are the only ones left that serve God. The lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life (see 1 Jn. 2:16) reign our culture; finding the righteous can be challenging through a dark lens. Like Elijah. Like me. But God doesn’t let Elijah stay there in that dark night of the soul; He assures him that he is not alone, and that God has set aside for Himself those that will not succumb to the darkness that seems to be ruling. God Reigns.

Yet I will leave 7,000 in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal and every mouth that has not kissed him. 1 Kings 19:18. NASB

When I feel like Elijah did, I remember God’s promise to me; I remember His goodness. He will not leave me; will not forsake me.

They speak falsehood to one another; with flattering lips and with a double heart they speak. May the Lord cut off all flattering lips, The tongue that speaks great things; who have said, “With our tongue we will prevail; Our lips are our own; who is lord over us?” vv. 2-4

Words can be hurtful. They can tear down; cause pain. People will not always speak well of you, no matter how good you are. The culture today is full of words, people talking. The cowardly hide behind their computers while spewing hate. No one knows them nor do they need to prove their character. They may say whatever they like with seemingly little or no consequence. But what they is speak falsehood. They believe that no one will hold them accountable. Everyone is a writer; a poet. Self-aggrandizement. God’s people know better.

Be not wise in your own eyes. Fear the Lord and turn away from evil. Prov. 3:7

For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith. Rom. 12:3

The Lord will always rise to defend those who love Him; those who are desperate; those in despair. The Words of the Lord are true; reliable; dependable; He will fight on behalf of the needy.

“Because of the devastation of the afflicted, because of the groaning of the needy, now I will arise,” says the Lord; “I will set him in the safety for which he longs.” The words of the Lord are pure words; as silver tried in a furnace on the earth, refined seven times. You, O Lord, will keep them; You will preserve him from this generation forever. The wicked strut about on every side when vileness is exalted among the sons of men. vv. 5-8

Not one Word that God has spoken has failed. Not one. His Word does not fail. Are you afflicted today? God says He will arise on your behalf. Are you needy today? God will raise you up— according to His Word. His Word has been tried and tested and passes with flying colors. Every time. God will keep you; that is His promise. Let the wicked speak what they will. Let those who hurt you with their words say what they will. The wicked strut; God preserves you.

Taste And See That The Lord Is Good

God is good. His goodness is all around us and woven through every part of our life. The first time we see the goodness of God is in His good creation;

Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness.Genesis 1: 3-4 NASB

 

God is summum bonum, the highest good.

“All that emanates from God—His decrees, His creation, His laws, His providences—cannot be otherwise than good: as it is written, ‘And God saw everything that He had made, and, behold it was very good.’ (Gen. 1:31). Thus, the ‘goodness’ of God is seen first in creation. The more closely the creature is studied, the more the beneficence of its Creator becomes apparent” (Arthur Pink, 1975, 58.)

We must begin with this understanding, that God is good, in this dark world, with its evil, poverty, disease, rumors of war…He is the Light of the World, and He causes darkness to flee. 

It is hard for us to understand this from our perspective, because we seem to have darkness before us whichever way we turn. There are few constants in this life, one of them is evil. Jesus promised that we would suffer trials, and they will remain in the earth until Christ once again kisses the earth with His glorious coming. In the Old Testament, specifically in the prophetic books, the prophets bring warning of coming destruction and punishment for Israel, should they not turn from their idolatrous ways and run back into the arms of their loving Father. But always riding the coat-tails of impending doom, comes the promise of redemption—another constant. Always. The trouble may not go away, but God promises to be with us through it, and when we come out the other side. The goodness of God brings hope and healing in the midst of our circumstances, and keeps us from falling into despair, if we but dare to trust Him:

I would have fainted, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Psalm 27:13 NASB

 

“The goodness of God appeared most illustriously when he sent forth His Son ‘made of woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons’ (Gal. 4:4-5).” (Pink, 59).

The goodness of God desires your healing. The goodness of God desires to deliver you.

Prophecy: 

Good and upright is the Lord: therefore will he teach sinners in the way (Ps. 25:8)

For thou Lord, art good, and ready to forgive (Ps. 86:5)

The Lord is good to all, and His mercies are over all His works (Ps. 145:9)

For the Lord is good;His lovingkindness is everlasting and His faithfulness to all generations (Ps. 100:5)

Fulfillment:

I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.Jn. 10:11 NASB

Jesus answered them, “I showed you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you stoning Me? Jn. 10:32 NASB

You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. Acts 10:38 NASB

Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? Rom. 2:4 KJV

For the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth. Eph. 5:9 NASB

To this end also we pray for you always, that our God will count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power. 2 Thess. 1:11 NASB

If you are hurting, suffering a trial, or just feel hopeless or despair, look for the goodness of God in the land of living…even if the land you’re in feels desolate—God is there too, He is the God who sees you, just as He saw Hagar wandering, running away from an abusive situation:

Then she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, “You are a God who sees”; for she said, “Have I even remained alive here after seeing Him?”Gen. 16:13 NASB

Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him. Ps. 34:8 NASB

The Lord is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble, And He knows those who take refuge in Him. Nah. 1:7 NASB

In His Grace,

Enjoy this beautiful prayer that I cannot stop listening to...