Echoes From the Campfire

Can’t ignore it [the past]; can’t forget it.  What you can do is move beyond it.”
              –L.C. Matthews (The Promise)

    “Don’t be deceived: God is not mocked. For whatever a man sows he will also reap, because the one who sows to his flesh will reap corruption from the flesh, but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit.”
              –Galatians 6:7-8 (HCSB) 
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Pardon me friends, but somehow I went from Psalm 11 to Psalm 13 completely skipping over 12.  I’ll remedy that this morning.  So let’s take a look at this set of verses (from the HCSB).  See how close they resemble life today.

         1  Help, Lord, for no faithful one remains; the loyal have disappeared from the human race.
         2  They lie to one another; they speak with flattering lips and deceptive hearts.
         3  May the Lord cut off all flattering lips and the tongue that speaks boastfully.
         4  They say, “Through our tongues we have power; our lips are our own—who can be our master?”
         5  “Because of the oppression of the afflicted and the groaning of the poor, I will now rise up,” says the Lord.
“I will put the one who longs for it in a safe place.”
         6  The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver refined in an earthen furnace, purified seven times.
         7  You, Lord, will guard us; You will protect us from this generation forever.
         8  The wicked wander everywhere, and what is worthless is exalted by the human race.

I get sick of the media with their “flattering lips.”  They let them flap continually, saying very little truth, but speaking empty, hollow words.  These are people without integrity who seek only their own agenda, their time of fame and glory.  G.K. Chesterton cried, “From sly speeches of men, deliver us.”
    David is bemoaning the fact that there are no faithful people left.  The RSV puts it this way, “Faithful have vanished from among the sons of men.”  He sits there, crying, “oh what shall I do?”  His life has taken on hopelessness and God doesn’t seem to want to answer.  The voices speak flattery and falsehoods, who do you trust?  This side says this, and then the other refutes it–where is the trust?  If is often easy to identify with this aspect of David’s life.
    However, God finally speaks.  He ignores David’s cries for Him to even the score; his pleas for retribution, but He does say He will arise and protect him.  God is our protector no matter who is speaking.  In this day when vileness is flaunted and God’s Word is scorned He will still guard those who trust in Him.  God will keep us secure; count on it.

         Prayer:  “Lord Jesus, help me to be like You–honest.  Keep me from mistrusting everyone just because someone has let me down.  I thank You because Your word can always be relied upon as truthful.  I know you will keep me secure.” (George O. Wood)