Psalm 12 The Heart Cry of Every True Christian

The psalmist is deeply disturbed because there seem to be less and less godly people and more and more ungodly people. We are able to understand the psalmist’s alarm when we compare verses 1, 7, and 8. In these verses David cries out to the Lord because to him it seems that ungodliness is on the rise while the godly become fewer and less influential in the culture. We may easily understand David’s prayer because this is the way most believers feel in the present day. I suppose every generation feels this way at times but that in no way lessens the severity of the situation, the weight of the prayer, or the reality of the problem. The truth is that believers are often in the minority, at times even within the covenant community, which is true in David’s case. The closer you get to God the more alien this world and it’s culture are going to feel. His Word molds your loves and delights they will inevitably run counter to the fascinations of the age. But still more, we must understand that the psalmist is not crying out because he doesn’t “fit in” any longer. He is crying out because of the rise, power, influence, and popularity of evil and because of the oppression of the true followers of God’s Word. The situation seems and feels frightful. Are God’s people safe? Will anyone protect them? How can good people, God’s people, survive in a dishonest culture? If the unbelievers lie, cheat, steal, and oppress and the godly refuse to act in kind, then how may they survive? Doesn’t this ensure the success of the ungodly and the death of the godly? 

Let’s consider this very personal and real dilemma that is presented to in Psalm 12 and find the answer we need.