I’m usually saying the same thing, droning off with the same lines, aren’t I?
No, you’re right, I get it.
But I can’t stop. It’s not that I’m addicted. It’s just that I understand how this helps me.
Not only am I clearing my head, but I’m making space for glory. For grace. For God Almighty.
Not that He’s out of space – more that I’m in need of Him.
Every hour, I need You.
Oh, bless me now my Savior, I come to thee.
If you still happen to be following, reading my drivel… well, thank you. I don’t know what value I’m giving for your time, but I thank You.
The Lord – our good Lord – bless you more and more.
Psalm 12
The Faithful Have Vanished
TO THE CHOIRMASTER: ACCORDING TO THE SHEMINITH. A PSALM OF DAVID.
1 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.
This has been going on ever since this Psalm was written, hasn’t it? Let’s not single out our generation and these times. Lies have always been around, just now more than ever, considering all the mediums of communication.
And if it isn’t outright untrue statements, it’s words that are spoken – as mentioned, ‘with flattering lips‘ (implying manipulation prioritized over the actual message), ‘and a double heart‘ (not necessarily with the right intentions).
And it’s all because ‘the godly one is gone‘, and ‘the faithful have vanished‘; Lies and deceit abound, and every man speaks for themselves in a spit-swapping survival deathmatch – not necessarily because the ‘godly one‘ and/or ‘the faithful‘ aren’t speaking, but because they have totally gone. Vanished.
Now, what does this tell me? Presence is communication in itself. Our awareness of presence of the Living God – the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit with us and never leaving us or forsaking us – already has such a great impact to us.
Because of Christ’s finished work ensuring that He never leaves nor forsakes us, we’ve been moved from darkness and hopelessness to light and progression. We no longer operate from insecurity or anxiety, but from confidence and perfect love (that casts out all fear).
Because of Christ’s finished work resulting in the events of Pentecost, we no longer dwell on the things of the flesh, but we bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit. When things happen to us, we respond with love, peace, patience, joy, faithfulness, kindness, goodness and self-control.
Thanks to God’s everlasting love demonstrated through Christ, and to our being with Him and Him being with us, our minds have been renewed, and our actions and reactions have been, and are being transformed.
With Christ, we’ve gone from merely existing to actually living.
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.”
…and we continue to give praise to our God, because not only does His presence with us have such an impact upon us, and upon our relationships; See, sure as the Holy Spirit is present and convicting the world, so God’s presence is in this world.
He is present in us, and He is present in this world – seeing the poor and the hearing the needy, He responds with rescue, demonstrating His goodness for all to see – that His will would be done. That none would perish, but all would come to repentance.
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.
Father, we thank You for Your words, and for the Living Word – Jesus Christ.
We thank You, because Your presence is already such a huge blessing to us – but You don’t stop there, because You speak Your words (yes, the very same words You spoke at the beginning of this reality) to us, expressing:
You are for us, and not against us. You are with us, and nothing can ever separate us from Your love.
You speak, and we realize: There is no condemnation in You. You pour out Your Spirit upon us, and we walk by the Spirit and not according to the flesh.
You are faithful to make all things work for the good of those who love You, and are called according to Your purpose.
Indeed, Father, for these reasons, for these Scriptures, and for all You tell us, we respond with our own words as well… And I believe it all boils down to our saying, simply:
Thank You.
Thank You, Lord, for everything. Thank You, for a reason to live. Thank You, for Life itself – not an existence waiting for death and doom, but Life here and now, in hopeful anticipation of eternity.
Thank You, Jesus, for making it all clear and possible – Your finished work absolutely guaranteed our salvation; And, more than salvation, we give thanks, Jesus! For You have reconciled us to the Creator, and the Everlasting God – much so that we can boldly run to Him as children with our burdens, calling out to Him, crying out to our Father!
Thank You, Holy Spirit, for in all the hectic situations and circumstances we’re in, and in all the confusion and distraction – in all that keeps us occupied, You convict us and remind us that we are always with God, and God is always with us.
Thank You, God, for Your presence! Thank You, Father, for Your love, and Your guidance.
As this day progresses, continue to be glorified to the maximum. Be with us at work, at rest, and at play. Our thoughts, our concerns, our burdens are Yours.
We trust You, and we thank You, knowing that we will never be put to shame. Thank You, Lord.
All this we lift up in praise and thanks, and in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Let’s continue to have a good and gracious week.
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