God Speaks
Psalm 11
For the choir director: A psalm of David.
1 I trust in the Lord for protection.
So why do you say to me,
“Fly like a bird to the mountains for safety!
2 The wicked are stringing their bows
and fitting their arrows on the bowstrings.
They shoot from the shadows
at those whose hearts are right.
3 The foundations of law and order have collapsed.
What can the righteous do?”
4 But the Lord is in his holy Temple;
the Lord still rules from heaven.
He watches everyone closely,
examining every person on earth.
5 The Lord examines both the righteous and the wicked.
He hates those who love violence.
6 He will rain down blazing coals and burning sulfur on the wicked,
punishing them with scorching winds.
7 For the righteous Lord loves justice.
The virtuous will see his face.
Psalm 12
For the choir director: A psalm of David, to be accompanied by an eight-stringed instrument.
1 Help, O 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.
Source: New Living Translation: BibleGateway.com
We Respond
NOTICE: Instead of focusing for a whole week on one book of the Bible and alternating weeks on Old Testament (OT), Wisdom Literature (WL), New Testament (NT), PraythrutheBible.com is now going to alternate them daily. Beginning Monday, February 21, 2022, each weekday post will feature a passage from the OT, WL, NT consecutively. That way if a person is studying a particular book in the Bible, they don’t have to wait for three weeks for the posts to return to it (only three days). The books may not be addressed in the order they are arranged in the canon of scripture; however, the chapters of each book will follow consecutively.
Reflection: These two shorter psalms will be considered together. In Psalm 11 David (the second king of the united Israel) affirms his trust in the LORD for protection from the wicked. The LORD is the strong mountain to which he flees. David sees his adversary preparing for battle. Even the foundations are shaken, but it is the sovereign Lord to whom he looks for safety and stability. He is reassured that God has everything in His capable oversight. David knows that God hates wicked behavior but loves righteous deeds. The LORD will take severe punitive action. He is righteous and loves to execute justice. He will turn His smile of approval on those who actually are virtuous. In Psalm 12 David cries out to the LORD because of the growing wickedness of the people of his nation. Those who are godly seem to be disappearing or being killed. More and more people are lying or defrauding each other. They “butter each other up” or are arrogant and boastful. Many think that they can get away with this kind of deceit and bad behavior; however, the LORD sees and hears it all. He pays special attention to the poor, needy, and defenseless. God promises to take action, and His promises are always fulfilled. Like purified gold and silver, you can “take it to the bank.” The oppressed can know that the LORD will protect and preserve them from this lying generation. They don’t need to fear when the wicked strut about and evil is praised throughout the land.
Prayer: Dear Father God, thank You for being our protector and stabilizer when circumstances or enemies are coming against Your people. I affirm my trust in You, LORD, for protection from the wicked. You, LORD, are the strong mountain to which I flee. My adversary is preparing for battle. The foundations of my culture and life are being shaken. But it is You, sovereign Lord, to whom I look for safety and stability. I am reassured that You have everything in Your capable oversight. I know that You hate wicked behavior but love righteous deeds. You, LORD, will take severe punitive action. You are righteous and love to execute justice. You will turn Your smile of approval on those who actually are virtuous. Of course, I can only be virtuous as I rely on and obey what You say to do. I cry out to You, LORD, because of the growing wickedness of the people of my community, state, and nation. Those who are godly seem to be disappearing, dying, or being killed. I am thinking of Christian leaders, like Billy Graham, who have died in the past few years, also Christians around the world and people, like the Falun Gong, who have tried to live morally and peaceably, who have been horribly persecuted. More and more people are lying or defrauding each other. They “butter each other up” or are arrogant and boastful. Many think that they can get away with this kind of deceit and bad behavior; however, You, LORD, see and hear it all. You pay special attention to the poor, needy, and defenseless. You, God, promise to take action, and Your promises are always fulfilled. Like purified gold and silver, we can “take it to the bank.” The oppressed can know that You will protect and preserve them from this lying generation. I and they don’t need to fear when the wicked strut about and evil is praised throughout the land. You will deal with their rebellion in Your perfect time and in Your perfect way. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, if He wants you to work on one of the suggestions below or something else more personal that He points out.)
- I will turn to God in prayer when circumstances or enemies are coming against me.
- I will turn to God in prayer when circumstances or enemies are coming against others of His people.
- I will, with the help of the Holy Spirit, take the action He directs when I see someone being treated unjustly.
- I will examine my life in light of the Word of God to see where I might be defrauding someone or compromising on some moral, ethical, or legal issue.
Share: I plan to share what I’ve learned with __________.