When You Feel Engulfed and Overwhelmed- Psalm 12

Psalm 12 

Save, O Lord, for the godly one is gone;
for the faithful have vanished from among the children of man.2 Everyone nutters lies to his neighbor;
with oflattering lips and pa double heart they speak.3 May the Lord cut off all oflattering lips,
the tongue that makes qgreat boasts,4 those who say, “With our tongue we will prevail,
our lips are with us; who is master over us?”5 “Because rthe poor are plundered, because the needy groan,
sI will now arise,” says the Lord;
“I will place him in the tsafety for which he longs.”6 uThe 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 us2 from this generation forever.8  On every side the wicked prowl,
as vileness is exalted among the children of man.

We have all been here.

One of the things I love about the Psalms is the honest recording of heart cries.

When I read this Psalm,  I think about feelings of despair. At the core of this cry is the thought of the continual slide into sin and decay. It is a feeling of loneliness. Is there anyone seeking holiness? Is there anyone actually interested in the things of God?

Chuck Colson passed away yesterday. Billy Graham is fading fast. Who is going to fill those shoes?

A wide view of society can push us into thoughts of despair like this. Just flipping the channels this weekend brought to my attention how little impact godliness is having on the current culture. Every subject seems to be supported by a secular world view.

I had dinner last week with one of the foremost authorities on the resurrection of Christ, Dr. Gary Habermas. He had just finished an amazing lecture on defending the resurrection from the Books of Galatians and I Corinthians. You can actually see this presentation at his website. Gary Habermas.com

The issue? Not many are interested. Not many there. Seems like few care. Here is a man who has committed his life on the critical point of Christian faith and he has AMAZING facts...... and he came and left with little fanfare.

I know that Christian Apologetics seems rather stuffy or boring. I get sad to see that evangelicalism has largely abandoned intellectual pursuits, but didn't Jesus say, "love with all your mind"?

There has never been a greater time in human history where such of a wealth of information is attainable. The Bible commentaries, seminary courses, sermons, devotional material, available for FREE is more that one could take in a lifetime.

The fields are STILL white for harvest- but the church seems so lukewarm in a desire to share the truth.

And as we have hidden the light, the mockers are growing bolder and colder.

Look again at verses 2-4. These are ancient words but still applicable today.
Everyone utters lies- (some lies are as bold as I have ever seen- especially in politics)
flattering lips and double hearts-
tongues that challenge God without fear

SO WHAT DO WE DO WHEN WE FEEL ENGULFED AND OVERWHELMED LIKE THIS?

God sees the result of such a society. The poor are plundered and the needy groan. He hears the cries of His children. At some point, He decides to act.. "I will now arise", says the LORD.

No one really wants this to happen.

I remember what Christ says in Revelation 2 as a part of His condemnation of the church at Pergamum:

  16 Therefore repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth.

In other words- it is better that you practice discipline in the church and NOT Me. Be warned- one day the Lord will say, "No more delay... the door of mercy WILL be closed.. and He will begin trampling on the winepress of His wrath.

But the main point of this passage is slightly different.

It is not attack the evil doers.. it is rescue of the one who is wounded.

Notice: "I will place him in the safety in which he longs."

And how secure is this promise? How secure are His words?
Purified, 7 times, pure silver. You can take His word to the bank!

Feel the security again:

You, O Lord, will keep them;
you will guard us2 from this generation forever.8  On every side the wicked prowl,
as vileness is exalted among the children of man.

WHEN WE FEEL ENGULFED- SURROUNDED BY EVIL AND MOCKERS

HANG ON... HE IS GOING TO RESCUE YOU!

The only question is if I am willing to believe Him.