Psalm 12

Today’s Passage: Psalm 12

Once again David is showing us what it looks like to cry out to the Lord and plead for deliverance. This life is tainted with sin and the consequences of living in a fallen world, and as believers, we are not immune from these sorts of trials. The difference is - we worship a God who hears, cares, and responds to our cries. So let's look at three points from this text that will help us understand how David cried out for deliverance.

First, David outlines the problem (1-2). The godly are gone. The people are faithless. The culture that David found himself in was one that had traded faithfulness for deceitfulness. They were “double hearted” (v2). In other words, their actions and hearts were out of sync. They praised God with their lips, but not with their hearts.

David is lamenting the spiritual decline of God’s people, and we don’t have to look too far to see a similar decline in the world around us. But David’s eyes were keenly aware of the danger of that deceit and faithlessness. Are we? We when see others (or even ourselves) speak with a “double heart” do we cry out for deliverance or join in? 

The second point is the process of God’s deliverance (3-5). For the wicked, the Lord brings judgment. Their boastful lips are silenced. But for the oppressed and needy, the Lord brings deliverance. He satisfies them in the safety of his presence. Which should naturally lead us to question, how exactly does the Lord delivers? Because I have cried out to the Lord in the midst of trials and didn’t answer the way I longed for. 

This leads to the third point, the promise of deliverance (6-8). David’s faith in God’s deliverance is grounded in God’s trustworthiness. His faithfulness. The purity of his words - proven generation after generation. Deeper still, David’s faith was in the heart of God, because unlike the “double hearted,” God’s words reflect his true heart to deliver his sons and daughters. (Proven in the Word who became flesh and dwelt among us - Jesus)

That deliverance doesn’t always happen the way we want it to. He doesn’t promise to preserve us from suffering, but he promises to “keep us” and comfort us while in suffering. And even when the suffering persists, we have eternal safety and deliverance through Jesus - the one who suffered for our sin so we don’t have to.

Family Discussion
Has someone ever spoken to you with a “Double Heart?” How did it affect you?
Do your words reflect your heart?
How do we know that God’s words reflect his heart towards us?

Written By: Joe Weaver


1 Comment


Jonathan - August 6th, 2022 at 7:34am

“He (God) doesn’t promise to preserve us from suffering, but he promises to “keep us” and comfort us while in suffering.”



This is a great reminder of God’s promises and presence in our lives, that I can easily lose perspective. Thanks for sharing, Joe!

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