Psalm 12--Help, LORD; for the godly man ceaseth; for the faithful fail from among the children of men. They speak vanity every one with his neighbour: with flattering lips and with a double heart do they speak. The LORD shall cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaketh proud things: Who have said, With our tongue will we prevail; our lips are our own: who is lord over us? 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 from him that puffeth at him. 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.

Dearly beloved brothers and sisters in Christ, how true this passage is in describing our generation. The godly man ceaseth. The faithful are few. We can often see in ourselves the lack of living a godly life. We join the world in their foolish behavior if not outwardly, than inwardly. We partake in their sins when we refuse to speak when we need to be a witness to the truth. We speak with flattery and double hearts to please men. We live in pride and selfishness. All we have left is the humble cry for the Lord's mercy, which is the Spirit's work, moving us to do this. In our new man, we sigh because of how wretched and depraved we are by nature.

But this sighing and oppression does not go unheard. The Lord hears and answers us when we call. We can be sure of this because the Lord promises this in His word, and His word cannot fail. We see how the vilest men seem to have things go well all of the time, and are praised for their wickedness. We must hear the glorious promise that the Lord preserves his people even in our adulterous and wicked generation. Sin cannot have dominion and God will deliver His people from the folly of their own unbelief.