Cursing or Singing?

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by elizabethaudet

by elizabethaudet

Psalms 12:1-8; 13:1-6

The Psalms of LAMENT offer us a language in which we can express our own feelings as we face our own problems. It is not a means of trying to fit our life to the LAMENTS, they are already there. We have to learn to express our situations of distress to God. He understands the fears, and distractions that weigh us down or make us feel desperate. He is our helper in time of trouble. So let God have His way in your life every day. By confessing your problems to God we find close communion with Him and develop a closer relationship. We may even cry out as Psalm 2:1-"My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? " or as Psalm 35:17 says, "How long, O God, will You look on?" Or Psalm 44:23-24-"Rouse Yourself! Why do You sleep, O God? Why do You hide Your face? Why do You forget our affliction and oppression?" Of course God is not guilty of these accusations, but, Hey! You are talking to Him! Trials open your mouth up to God! A Jewish writer, Isaac Bashevis Singer once said, "I only pray when I'm in trouble. But I am in trouble all the time, so I pray all the time." Our prayer should be all the time as our needs, blessings, and problems are there with us always! Is God not our Father? Does He not care for us? He cares, loves and guides us! Without Him all is lost! So LAMENT TO GOD IF YOU FEEL LIKE IT! HE STILL LISTENS AND STILL ANSWERS!

Psalm 12:1-2 begins with a community LAMENT as it involves more than just one person. (TLB)-"Lord! Help! Godly men are fast disappearing. Where in the world can dependable men be found?" The evidence is what David stated in verse 2-"Everyone deceives and flatters and lies. There is no sincerity left." (Psalms 10:7; 41:6; Romans 3:9-18 where we read, "There is none righteous, no not one;..." ; however, Romans 3:21-24 tells us what the answer is-"...being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus...".). Jesus is our only hope!

David is alarmed by what he sees around him, so he cries out in Psalm 12:3-4-(TEV)-"Silence those flattering tongues, Lord, and close those boastful mouths!" (Close those lying mouths!). "They say, 'We will speak as we wish, and no one will stop us. Who can tell us what to say?" I doubt I need to explain this. I think we have all heard, "I will say what I please and who are you to stop me?" I have heard this statement from many people over many years. This "record never gets changed". (If you are not familiar with this expression it is because you didn't live in the days of phonograph records when you tired of the repeats over and over of obnoxious songs because no one changed the record.)

Verse 5 of Psalm 12 records God's action concerning David's plea for help-(KJV)-" 'For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now I will arise,' saith the Lord; I will set him in safety from him that puffeth at him,' ". This is God's promise to David! (Read Psalm 10:5a "His ways are always prospering; Your Judgments are far above, out of his sight;") we can trust God to move in our behalf but we are anxious for it to be NOW! Yet, please note, it was when he called out that God answered. God's timing is always perfect! He never fails.

David remembers and records the next verse with that thought in mind-(CEB)-"The Lord's promises are pure, like silver that's been refined in an oven purified seven times over." God's promises can be trusted. When silver is fired seven times it is pure silver and has no dross. Notice that the number 7 is considered a perfect number. His ways are perfect! (Read 2 Samuel 22:31-"As for God, His Way is perfect; The Word of the Lord is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him."; This verse is repeated almost identically in Psalm 18:30; and again in the first part of Psalm 119:140, followed by "therefore your servant loves it."). David expressed his own confidence in God in verse 7-"You, Lord, will keep us, protecting us from this generation forever." Our security is in You, Lord. We trust You because You are our shield and You are perfect and faithful!

David closes Psalm 12:8 with a reminder of why he is so trusting in God. Because-(NKJV)-"The wicked prowl on every side, when violence is exalted among the sons of man." (Read Psalm 10:16-18-"The Lord is King forever and ever;..." ). God will meet out punishment where it is needed. Now we still struggle with man's sinful nature which works against us, but God has sent His Holy Spirit to help us with this struggle. (Read Acts 1:8; 2:16-2; and if you read on in Acts 2:25-36 you will see David mentioned by name making a statement about Jesus Christ.)

I chose to follow Psalm 12 with Psalm 13 because it follows the same thought closely. David is the author expressing his LAMENT in verses 1-2. Under unending demands, constant tension and increasing danger he wonders how long he must be on the run before God intervenes? So he has some questions to ask: (NKJV)

1. "How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever?"

2. "How long will You hide Your face from me? Having sorrow in my heart daily? (Job13:243)

3. "How long will my enemy be exalted over me?" (Remember Psalm 4:2 and 6:3)

Notice the pronouns implied and used here in this section. David has three concerns: 1. "I, me, and my" (all one); 2. "You" (God) 3. "They" (the enemy). Sometimes we get so caught up in the "I" and "They" that we forget the "You". But remember David is talking to the "You" (God)!

David goes on in verses 3-4-(TLB)-"Answer me, O Lord my God; (not someone else's God but, MY GOD.) "Give me light in my darkness lest I die." (Read Psalms 38:10; 6:5; Ezra 9:8-9, a reprieve for the end of captivity.) "don't let my enemies say, 'We have conquered him! Don't let them gloat that I am down." (Read Jeremiah 51:51). It was God's honor that Jeremiah wrote about.) David also knew it was against God that the adversaries rebellion was displayed. God's honor is at stake!

Finally David confesses God's control over the circumstances he faced. Psalm 13:5-6-(CEB)-"But I have trusted in Your faithful love." Despair is now overpowered by trust inGod! My heart will rejoice in Your Salvation. Yes, I will sing to the Lord because He has been good to me." (Remember Psalm 40:1-4 under my book, JUSTICE. God's mercy always turns to songs of praise. Perhaps we should consider the following verses to help you when you feel like you have been forsaken by God.

Isaiah 41:8-13-"I have chosen you and not cast you off; do not fear for I am with you." God's promise to Jacob.

Isaiah 43:1-7-"Do not fear...I have called you by name, you are mine..."

Jeremiah 30:10-11-"I am with you...to save you."

We are promised as was David, Isaiah, and Jeremiah that God has chosen us, knows our name and comes to us to save us!

LAMENT ENDS IN PRAISE AND SONG IF WE BRING IT TO GOD!

Next time...