Am I Self-Sufficient?

Posted on 24. Oct, 2009 by Jim Peters in Hearing God - Jim's Daily D

Psalm 12

Written by King David – For the Music Director – Accompanied by Stringed Instruments

1 (Come to the) rescue, Lord!  Godly (people) are no more and the faithful have disappeared from mankind[1].

2 (People) tell lies to flatter each[2] other with their lips and speak (deceptively from) their inner beings.

3 The Lord will cut out all lips that flatter and (every) tongue that boasts[3] 4 “Who said, “With our tongue we will be great!” and “Our lips are ours, who will be our owner and master?”

5 “Now, because the poor have been destroyed, and because the cries of (those) in need, I will stand up,” says the Lord.  “I will give them the safety they want.”[4]

6 The Lord’s words are pure like silver refined in a furnace on earth and purified seven times. 7 You will guard them Lord.  You will guard them from this generation forever.

8 The wicked walk around everywhere when moral filth is taken up by mankind[5].

[1] “sons men”  [2] “man” [3] :great” [4] “blow/pants for” [5] “aons of men

Application

We need God’s help.  Our society thinks they don’t need him.  They boast about their own self sufficiency and their own great works, practically and, in many cases, totally denying that God has anything to do with what happens here on earth at all.

God says, “Apart from me you can do nothing.” And yet I continue to live most of life as if I don’t need God’s help at all.

I am not to boast of who I know and what I can do.  My boast is meant to be in the cross of Jesus and what he has done for me.  I am meant to be like Paul who said that he considered everything else rubbish compared to knowing Christ Jesus.

I am to make my life’s work AND my moment by moment challenge to know Jesus and love for him.

God speaks holy things and pure things.  Therefore I need to examine my speech and only say those things that are uplifting and holy.  Crass comments don’t go down well with God.

In fact it’s when crass comments go by without anyone raising an eyebrow that wickedness parades itself in the open.  I need to take responsibility for holiness in my own life and I need to encourage holiness in others.

Prayer

Father, I need to be refined by your Spirit.  Forgive me for things I say that you don’t like to be funny, in anger or disappointment, or to get a reaction from people.  Please help me to be like you and have a focus on the things that you love.

Come to our rescue Lord.  There is so much wickedness about and you promise to protect the poor and needy.

I have so much Lord and yet I am poor and in need of your touch and your presence in my life.  I want to know more of you.

IJN Amen 

 © & (P) IJN Publishing & Production 2009
All rights reserved – This material may not be copied or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the publisher.

Leave a reply