Help, O Lord, for the godly are fast disappearing!
The faithful have vanished from the earth!
2 Neighbors lie to each other,
speaking with flattering lips and deceitful hearts.
3 May the Lord cut off their flattering lips
and silence their boastful tongues.
4 They say, “We will lie to our hearts’ content.
Our lips are our own—who can stop us?”
5 The Lord replies, “I have seen violence done to the helpless,
and I have heard the groans of the poor.
Now I will rise up to rescue them,
as they have longed for me to do.”
6 The Lord’s promises are pure,
like silver refined in a furnace,
purified seven times over.
7 Therefore, Lord, we know you will protect the oppressed,
preserving them forever from this lying generation,
8 even though the wicked strut about,
and evil is praised throughout the land.
Psalm 12 NLT
Lord God,
Immortal, invisible, God only wise and the hymn says. And this Psalm starts by lifting us beyond our troubles to our source of help, You Lord.. Help. A good word to start with. No an amazing, all encompassing word to start on. We realise how much we need You. Sometimes Lord my own personal Psalm is just that – HELP! And reassuringly You already know everything. I don’t have to explain it all.
The enemy does not need to send an army to defeat David as he is already beating himself up and feeling isolated. Everybody is lying, boasting and giving false flattery. Everybody? Sometimes it seems the world, our nation is full of people who lie and ignore You God.
But it is not true. Lord break in and remind us as You did David, that You know all this. You are the Lord of history. Your promises have been refined – they are pure. They and righteous. You sent Jesus the perfect source of help even though the ungodly still boasted and strutted around. They do not know their end or they would turn to You. Thank you that You are our very present help in times of trouble (Psalm 46). And our eternal home (Psalm 23:6). Help us as we journey.
In Jesus name we pray, Amen.
Worship Saturday 17th May 2025
I selected this version because it makes this a cheerful, hopeful, helpful hymn.
O God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Our shelter from the stormy blast,
And our eternal home:
Under the shadow of your throne
Your saints have been secure;
All we need is You alone
And our defense is sure.
O God, our help in ages past,
God be our guide
As long as life will last
Before the hills and mountains stood
Or Earth received her frame,
From everlasting you are God,
And forever more the same.
O God, our help in ages past,
God be our guide
As long as life will last
O God our help for years to come
God be our guide
And our eternal home
And our eternal home
Lyrics: Isaac Watts
Arrangement by: The great jungle journey VBS.