Psalm 12 (NRSV)
Read Psalm 12 on biblegateway.com
Verse 1Help, O Lord, for there is no longer anyone who is godly; the faithful have disappeared from humankind.
Verse 2They utter lies to each other; with flattering lips and a double heart they speak.
Verse 3May the Lord cut off all flattering lips, the tongue that makes great boasts,
Verse 4those who say, "With our tongues we will prevail; our lips are our own-who is our master?"
Verse 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."
Verse 6The promises of the Lord are promises that are pure, silver refined in a furnace on the ground, purified seven times.
Verse 7You, O Lord, will protect us; you will guard us from this generation forever.
Verse 8On every side the wicked prowl, as vileness is exalted among humankind.
Devotion
If it hurts enough we listen.
So the Psalmist speaks of a people filled with lies, where “the poor are despoiled ... the needy groan ... on every side the wicked prowl ... vileness is exalted.” There comes a dark point when we are willing to look outside ourselves. When we find ourselves at rock bottom, there are few alternatives besides looking up.
Is there any hope in a world filled with bloodshed and fear? Where do we turn to escape the cravings for power and might to which all of us fall prey? How do we dare pray for a peace that truly does seem beyond understanding?
There is one from whom the Psalmist offers “promises that are pure.” Those promises have been there since time began. The problem has never been with the One who offers them. Rather, the struggle is with our willingness to hear and believe.
Perhaps now is the time ... again.
Prayer
Dearest Lord, you bring light out of darkness, hope out of fear, and life out of death. We thank you. Amen.