As our age advances and we see that the physical is uncertain and difficult, our confident bravado erodes as it is replaced by the realization that struggles never end. Permanent solutions do not exist. No matter what we do, struggles continue.
Perhaps nothing makes us think as does seeing the struggles of people who have no spiritual family. To see people who face the stark moments of life alone underscores the value of mutually dependence on God. To lose or abandon that blessing is to forfeit one of physical lifes great gifts.
In Psalms 11, the psalmist declared his refuge was God. A difficult time had enveloped the psalmist. As is often the case in difficult times, there was an abundance of advice. The advice given the palmists: Flee to an inaccessible place where you can successfully hide from your enemies.
Psalmist, you should know your enemies are determined to destroy you, and they will not fight fair. They will use the cover of darkness to hide their movements. You and the righteous will honor the rules of engagement, but they will not! They gladly will shoot you in the darkness.
They do not care who they hurtall they care about is winning! It is time to runsave yourself from your uncertain danger!
The righteous psalmist declared there was more to consider than his physical safety. Righteous people are concerned about honoring valuesGods values. If we do not care about honoring
Gods values, there is far more to be lost than our physical lives!
Righteous people never forget that the Lord is in control! No matter the physical cost or the right now situation, the righteous do not forget who the Lord is or where He is. Because of who He is and where He is, He sees everything that happens. Happenings tested all peoplethe righteous and the wicked. God knew what people did and why they did it! Nobody got away with anything! It was impossible to deceive God! God would take care of the wickedleave that in His hands and focus on being righteous! He would act in ways you never could, in ways that will defy imagination! However, He would certainly do it!
The Lord was righteous and He loved the righteous. The upright should not worry about the enemythey would see the Lords face! He never abandoned the upright!
Perhaps Psalm 12 followed Psalm 11 because the situation depicted was dire. The psalmist was pleading with God for help. He was not pleading because he doubted God, but because the situation was so severe. People who were godly were vanishing! It seemed as though wicked people were winning. The faithful were disappearingit seemed they were no match for the wicked. Thus, the psalmist asked for Gods help. Obviously, the psalmist was baffled by the problems existence.
This problem seemed to be caused by the effective deceitfulness of the wicked. They knew how to gain a persons confidence through flattery. The wicked knew how to say just the right thing to make their declarations believable to those who sought to be righteous people. However, when the wicked spoke, they spoke falsely with a double purpose (the self-serving purpose of the wicked was not evident to the righteous).
The psalmist did not ask the Lord to zap the wicked out of existence, but to destroy their ability to flatter and deceive. The wicked were confident that they could do anything through their speech! No one could get the better of them because they knew how to use flattery to make anyone their victim. Everyone was troubled by something! Everyone had needs or struggles that overwhelmed them. All the wicked needed to do was to figure out how to exploit the situation produced by the trouble, the struggle, or the need!
The psalmist understood part of the problem was produced by the eagerness of the righteous to have a quick fix solution to troubles, struggles, and needs. The answer: Turn to the Lord for answers, and not to the flattering words and deceitful promises of the wicked. God truly addressed a situation. He did not deceiveHe addressed the real problem. His words could be trusted as though they were the finest, most expensive silver. He would be with those who belonged to Him, and those who belonged to Him had a future that could not be destroyednever would the righteous vanish!
The wicked might go about in the extreme confidence that they were in control, but their work depended on the gullibility of people. The righteous depended on the steadfastness of God!
When horrible things happen like the death camps of WWII, the genocide of Sudan, or the death and destruction of 9/11/2001, it seems the wicked have all the advantages. However, the righteous depend on a force superior to any earthly happening. Wickedness will self-destruct because it depends on the deception of humans. Righteous shall prevail because it depends on the enduring God. To be righteous, one must see further than the immediate situation.
For Thought and Discussion
1. When we are young adults, what impresses us? Why?
2. Often, the attitude of the young adult is what? Often, the question of older adults is what?
3. Discuss this statement: Permanent solutions do not exist. What makes us think?
4. What advice did the psalmist receive in his time of difficulty? The psalmist declared what?
5. Righteous people never forget what? What do happenings do?
6. In Psalms 12 why was the psalmist pleading with God? Discuss the situation.
7. The psalmist understood what?
8. Contrast what the wicked depend on with what the righteous depend on.
9. In our today world when does it seem the wicked are winning?
Link to Teacher's Guide
Lesson 6