Quiet Moments With God: On Bended Knee

Help, O Lord, for the godly are fast disappearing. The faithful have vanished from the earth. Neighbors lie to each other, speaking with flattering lips and deceitful hearts,. May the Lord cut off their flattering lips and silence their boastful tongues. They say, "We will lie to our hearts' content. Our lips are our own--who can stop us?" 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. The Lord's promises are Pure, like silver refined in a furnace purified seven times over. Therefore, Lord, we know you will protect the oppressed, preserving them forever from this lying generation, eventhough the wicked strut about, and evil is praised throughout the land.
Psalm 12

 "The godly are fast disappearing. The faithful have vanished. Neighbors lie to each other. We will lie to our heart's content. The wicked strut about and evil is praised."

This sounds a lot like our present society, doesn't it. This morning, as I read these passages I saw recent newspaper headlines, my church,  neighbors, friends, family . . . me. I saw me. All of us do evil. And our society feels as if its spiraling downward deeper and deeper into sin. Perhaps it is, but evil has existed since The Garden. There is nothing new under the sun.

Also during this morning's reading, passages of hope rose up. "Help, O Lord. The Lord replies. I have seen. I have heard. I will rise up. The Lord will protect. The Lord's promises are pure."

When I consider my sins I want to look away. I hate them. The words of the apostle Paul from Romans 7 help me to see the truth. He says, "For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do." Even Paul was a sinner. If that is so, then how can we change, not only ourselves but the world?

The Lord provides the way. He is our help and our strength. He sustains us when we can no longer stand. He gives us the words to speak when we must. And reminds us to remain quiet when we should. He enables us to love and to forgive. He is full of mercy.

If we want to change the world, we need to begin with Him. Change takes place one bended knee at a time.

Grace and peace to you from God,

Bonnie