The Lord shall Protect and Preserve the Righteous against Proud, Evil and Spiteful Speech!

01 Oct 2025 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Psalm 12:1.         Help (save), Lord, for the godly man ceaseth; for the faithful fail (disappear) from among the children of men.

Wow mih bredrin, October has opened this Wednesday morning just like September closed yesterday; bright and sunshiny and fairly warm! Glory be! Let’s hope that October gives us a bit more of that summer-like weather before the cold season comes in, because it will, for as Brook Benton so wisely said in his song: ‘It’s just a matter of time!’ (smile) And I also hope that we are catching our second wind this middle day of the work week, and thus be reinvigorated to pursue the Lord’s work with an aggressive, productive excellence, as He desires of us. 

Now, today I want us to look at another interesting psalm, Psalm 12, titled ‘God Shall Preserve the Godly.’ In it Bruh David speaks of the effects of vain, proud and spiteful speech against the righteous. So please read with me as Bruh David pleads: ‘Help (save), Lord, for the godly man ceaseth; for the faithful fail (disappear) from among the children of men.’ (Ps. 12:1) 

And friends, those words written so long ago are still ever so true today…if not truer than they’ve ever been, since evil and ungodliness have taken such a stranglehold on our current world. Godly people are surely disappearing from our societies at a rather rapid rate, as materialism and evil tendencies daily increase amongst the populace. 

Then Bruh David continues: ‘They speak vanity (idly, falsely) every one with their neighbour: with flattering lips and with a double heart (an inconsistent mind) do they speak).’ (Ps. 12:2) That’s also ever so true on a very large scale in our society today. Deceitfulness, fraudulence, insincere flattery, prideful speech, all these things are rather rampant in our world, and you have to be oh so careful of whom you listen to and how you respond to them. 

And to make matters worse, today’s schemers don’t ease up, they don’t take a break. Like Beelzebub, they just keep attacking you with a merciless regularity. I can personally testify to that, as every day, at all hours, my phone keeps ringing with long distance numbers I don’t know, and my junk e-mail is also filled with invitations from veritable strangers. It’s a fine line we need to walk to escape the many ongoing fraudulent schemes. 

And sadly Bruh David was not the only one who wrote on the subject, the prophets Isaiah and Micah also had something to say about it. Isaiah puts it this way. ‘The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth (takes) it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come (presence of evil).’ (Is. 57:1) 

Meanwhile Micah says it thus: ‘The good (faithful, loyal) man is perished out of the earth: and there is none upright among men: they all lie in wait for blood; they hunt every man his brother with a net. That they may do evil with both hands earnestly (successfully), the prince asketh (asks for gifts), and the judge asketh for a reward (bribe); and the great man, he uttereth his mischievous (evil) desire: so they wrap it up (scheme together.) (Mic.7:2-3) 

Oh my people, it seems like Micah is still living today, for he paints the picture exactly how it’s happening. And that means we need to walk a very fine line to escape the many ongoing fraudulent schemes. But thankfully Bruh David gives us some encouragement for the detestable situation, when he writes: ‘The Lord shall cut off (destroy) all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaketh proud (great) things: Who have said, With our tongue we will prevail; our lips are our own: who is lord over us?’ (Ps. 12:3-4)

Now that’s a good question, and the vain and proud and deceitful ought to take notice, because their tongues do not belong to them; they belong to their Creator, Almighty God. Thus: ‘For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now will I arise, saith the Lord; I will set him in safety (the safety for which he yearns) from him that puffeth at him.’ (Ps. 12:5) 

Yes friends, the Lord God is indeed our deliverer, and we need to believe that with all of our heart and soul, if we expect His help. For as Bruh David continues; ‘The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O Lord, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever. The wicked walk on every side, when the vilest men are exalted.’ (Ps. 12:6-8) 

And isn’t that the gospel truth! We see it in spades in our current world, where some of the vilest men ever have been exalted, and beside them are walking evil doers of every race, creed and class. What a sad situation. But let’s remember what Bruh David says above there; ‘the Lord shall keep them, and preserve them from this generation for ever.’ And that’s the indisputable truth, for as Bruh Daivd also says, the Lord’s words are as true as silver that’s been purified seven times. Can you imagine how pure that silver is after being purified so often. Well, that’s how true the Lord’s word is also. 

And we’ll end with this reassuring verse from Isaiah, re the righteous perishing: ‘He shall enter into peace: they shall rest in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness.’ (Is. 57:2) Yes my people, that’s the reward the Lord has for the righteous…walking in uprightness and resting in peace. So please don’t give up hope because evil and evil doers are running rampant in our world. Let’s remember that He who is in us, is greater than he that’s in the world, (1 John 4:4), so we shall conquer them eventually, if we only stay strong and persevering.  

Now, let’s go home declaring our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’ 

And fortunately, it’s been promised that all who endure with Jesus right to the very end, will see a future even more glorious than they can ever ask or imagine. So please, let’s endure to the end nuh, so that we can enjoy that more than glorious future together! Much LOVE!

…the righteous may suffer…but they’ll find comfort…in the Lord and His infallible, comforting Word…

Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien

Today’s Scrip-Bit 3 July 2016 Psalm 12:2

03 Jul 2016 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Psalm 12:2.   They speak vanity (idly, falsely) every one with his neighbour: with flattering lips and with double heart (an inconsistent mind) do they speak.

‘And another one bites the dust…!’ 

Yes friends, another of my university mates shed his earthly body yesterday and moved on to meet his Maker in the spiritual realm. We’re talking about the Rt. Hon. Patrick Augustus Mervyn Manning, (1946-2016) ex-Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago. The cause of death is reputedly acute myeloid leukemia (blood cancer). That now leaves only a few of us. (smile) 

It’s strange though that when one of your classmates dies, how it gets you to thinking of your own mortality. But unfortunately there’s not much we can do about it, so we might as well enjoy life to the best of our ability, for when the Grim Reaper calls, we have no option but to go. 

Well what can I say about Paddy Manning eh? I met him way back in 1966 when we were both freshmen on the University of the West Indies (U.W.I) campus in Mona Jamaica, where we lived in the same Hall of Residence, Irvine Hall. Paddy was always pleasant and friendly, full of jokes, emitting that shy, innocent smile on his round, boyish face that the ladies seemed to like. 

Over the three years there we became decent friends and associates. We did have some fun times together; engaging in a couple of escapades, partying a fair amount, beating pan in the Irvine Hall Playboys Steel Band, and riding his Lambretta scooter around the campus and the surrounding Mona environs. 

At that time nobody really knew that Paddy had political ambitions, for he always played his cards close to his chest and never got involved in campus politics as some other well-known political animals did. The one instance most people might remember is when he ran for Hall Chairman and lost. 

But other than that, Paddy was just an ordinary fun-loving young man like most of us, so I was most surprised when I heard that he had gotten involved in politics. 

Unfortunately, the last time I saw him was around 1983, he was just a regular Cabinet Minister then, and sadly, I didn’t visit T&T for some thirty years after that, so we never got a chance to hook up.  In the last couple of years when I went down there I tried to see him, but he was either too sick to receive visitors or was off the island. 

Obviously I can’t say anything about his political administration since I wasn’t living there during that time, but I did hear stories, good, bad and indifferent. I won’t judge him because that’s not my place. 

I will end my little eulogy though with a rather appropriate statement from another school and band and roommate of his, William Lau. ‘Whatever one’s opinion, Patrick’s place in Trinidad and Caribbean history is set.’ 

And that no one can deny my friends. My sincere condolences go out to his family. Rest in peace, Paddy mih brother! 

Now let’s turn to our Bit, from Psalm 12 –A plea from Bruh David against the wicked. But first let’s set the scene with the verse that comes before it. ‘Help, Lord (save me); for the godly man ceaseth: for the faithful fail (disappear) from among the children of men.’ (Ps.12:2) 

And if that isn’t the gospel truth in these abominable times, I don’t know what is! Yeh mih breddren, godly and faithful men and women are going out of style, or have already gone out of style in these evil, godless days. 

And Bruh David continues: ‘They speak vanity (idly, falsely) every one with his neighbour: with flattering lips and with double heart (an inconsistent mind) do they speak.’ 

More indisputable truth precious people! For lies and falsehood and fraud and double speak and flattery are what emanate from most mouths in this day and age. The evil tendencies of man are highlighted in these troublesome times. 

But please note Bruh David’s sure statement as he writes on. ‘The Lord shall cut off (destroy) all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaketh proud (great) things. Who have said, With our tongue will we prevail; our lips are our own: who is lord over us?’ (Ps.12:3-4) 

Ah friends, what foolish and ignorant people are they? For they obviously don’t know that their lips are not their own; that there entire body and all their possessions belong to the Lord God Jehovah who made heaven and earth and all therein! 

Now listen to the psalmist from Psalm 10, as he prays for the overthrow of the wicked. ‘The wicked through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts (he thinks; There is no God)… He hath said in his heart, I shall not be moved: for I shall never be in adversity (trouble). His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud (oppression): under his tongue is mischief (trouble) and vanity (iniquity).’ (Ps.10:4, 6-7) 

Oh friends, it surely seems like the psalmists are writing about our current world and the atrocities that are taking place in it. If they thought that mankind was evil and wicked back then, those of today have mastered the art, and can certainly teach them a thing or two about evil and wickedness. 

But what those followers of Lucifer don’t realize is that the Lord God Almighty, He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, is still on His throne in the high heavens, watching down on them only waiting for the right moment to pounce on them. 

And Bruh David spells it out thus: ‘For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now will I arise, saith the Lord; I will set him in safety (for which he yearns) from him that puffeth at him.’ (Ps.12:5) 

Yes friends, the Lord will eventually settle all debts and wrongs that the poor and needy and righteous have suffered. How do we know that? Bruh David tells us. ‘The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O Lord, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.’ (Ps.12:6-7) 

That’s a faithful promise and heavenly truth my brethren! We can count on it! So let’s faithfully go out to church this Sunday morning, unafraid of the evil-doers that lurk around us, and joyously praise and worship our Creator, for that’s what He expects, and also what he deserves. Much LOVE!

…Jesus Christ has already defeated hell, death and the grave…so there’s no need to be afraid of evil and its purveyors…