Plea for Help in Evil Times

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

1Help, O Lord, for there is no longer anyone who is godly;

the faithful have disappeared from humankind.

2They utter lies to each other;

with flattering lips and a double heart they speak.

 

3May the Lord cut off all flattering lips, the tongue that makes great boasts,

4those who say, “With our tongues we will prevail; our lips are our own—who is our master?”

 

5“Because the poor are despoiled, because the needy groan,

I will now rise up,” says the Lord;

“I will place them in the safety for which they long.”

6The promises of the Lord are promises that are pure,

silver refined in a furnace on the ground, purified seven times.

 

7You, O Lord, will protect us;

you will guard us from this generation forever.

8On every side the wicked prowl,

as vileness is exalted among humankind.

via Psalm 12:1 (NRSV) – Biblia.com.

Maybe you can identify with David. He looked around at the way things were and felt like no one was faithful. All he could see were those who were bent toward evil. He saw those that  used words to flatter and who had “a double heart” when they spoke. 

God speaks in this Psalm and he speaks because of the poor and needy. God promises he will give them the safety they desire. God’s promises can be trusted, even though at times we might question whether God is going to come through.

David knew that God’s promises were “pure, silver refined in a furnace on the ground, purified seven times.” Even though there was evil on every side, David’s faith remained in God. He did not give up hope, but looked toward God. He knew that God would protect and guard from the evil and wicked. God would bring safety to the poor and needy.

May you place your confidence in God and discover he is faithful and keeps his promises!