Against the flow

Psalm 12

¹ Help, O Lord, for the godly are fast disappearing! The faithful have vanished from the earth! ² Neighbours 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.

When was the last time you felt alone?  A sole believer in a sea of unbelieving hearts.  Do you feel that you are constantly going against the flow – wouldn’t it be so much easier just to go with the current?  Jesus is clear that following him isn’t the easy choice – it’s the narrow road and few find it, he says. 

For those of you that are teachers, you might find that you are one of only a very few in the staff room who would describe themselves as having a living relationship with Jesus.  Many of our young people find themselves the only Christian in their class group or even year.  It can be a lonely place to be and challenging to stay committed when you’re the only one. 

David could clearly identify with some of these feelings when he wrote this Psalm – beginning with a cry for help as he struggles to keep his head above the water of an ungodly generation.  He knows that God is faithful, a keeper of promises, a mighty rescuer.  And he knows that his only option is to hold tight to him!

Questions for thought and discussion…

• What things help you hold on tight to God?
• How can we help and support those young people who are the only Christian in their immediate world?