Refine My Thoughts And Words Like Silver Lord

Psalm 12:1-2 and 6-7  - Help, LORD, for the godly are no more; the faithful have vanished from among men.  Everyone lies to his neighbor; their flattering lips speak with deception.

 And the words of the LORD are flawless, like silver refined in a furnace of clay, purified seven times.  O LORD, you will keep us safe and protect us from such people forever.

 

David looked around the world he had been placed and saw many who did not understand what the phrase…be truthful…meant. They may not have lied outright ….but they did not have any problems stretching the little truth they knew into something more flattering.  He wondered how these people could claim to know the same God he served…and allow their insincere hearts and minds to be so blind to the pure truth of God’s word.

 

Things haven’t changed much since his day.  As I speak with others….especially when I invite them to church…I hear story after story of how they have chosen to not be a part of an organized church.  The stories mention the people of God’s church in unflattering ways....and how they just chose not to be a part of a body of believers that say they believe one thing…and see do another day after day.

 

I think David had seen the same problem in his people.  They built themselves up with prideful statements that stretched the truth of who and what they really were. They began to believe that their self-worth had more to do with what they wore…or how much money they made….and how much the outfit they wore cost.  David saw them begin to judge others around them as lower that themselves if they could not boast the same.

 

David knew that God would only allow this kind of pride for a time…because satan takes these lies we tell to ourselves and puffs up our egos….leaving no room for the humility that needs to grow to truly understand God’s pure truth. David likens God’s truth to the refining process of silver…each step of the process cleansing more and more of the impurities form our hearts that cause us to latch on to the need to be measured by things.

 

God’s pure truth cultivates humility….that understands the blessings we have are to be shared with others…not hoarded for ourselves.  It produces a kind of pure love that draws people to come and gather together to worship …without worrying about what we wear…or what denomination’s theology is the most true. The worship spurs the spirit of giving instead of taking…that Jesus demonstrated when he walked the Earth.  The gathering of the people becomes a way to transform our lives into servants that want to help others understand the pure truth of God.

 

Father…I thank you for the reminder that I need to be careful what words I use to describe what you have blessed me with.  Help me to remember that none of it is really mine….that you have only loaned any of it to me to do your work.  Help me to guard against using words to flatter or brag about what you have done for me…but be more like Mary….and ponder them in my heart…so that you can refine the thoughts into a pureness that you can use to transform me into who you need me to be. Help me to recognize satan when he tries to trick me into thinking anything different.  Amen.