Central Truth

Words are the carriers of our ideas, thoughts and imaginations. They give evidence of our creativity, or lack of it. So, is there such a thing as an "idle" word?

Reflections

"Help, Lord", perhaps a more common prayer than most would think, forms the beginning of Psalm 12. However, this cry for help is quite unlike most of our pleas to God for help. The psalmist has observed that the godly individual is vanishing much like moisture evaporates from the soil during windy, scorching hot summer days. The faithful are vanishing from among the sons of men.

The disappearance of godly influence is of great concern to the author. Has that ever been a concern to you? If so, what have you done about it? The author attributes this disappearance of godly influence to the overwhelming atmosphere of idle chatter.

Think about it this way. Much of this psalm is focused on words. Though unidentified, the individuals in verses 2-4 use words to get their way. They lie, flatter, exaggerate, and boast of their accomplishments to manipulate others for their own benefit. They even boast about getting their way using what they say. They boldly exclaim, and even dare someone to tell them otherwise. The effect of these words, like that of a contagious disease, is that the godly and faithful people have been on the decline. Perhaps they themselves got caught up in the web of seduction woven by the words spoken around them.

At the opposite end of the ‘word' spectrum are God's words. The ungodly's words are contrasted with His words. God's words are pure words, that is, there is none of the dross or impurities that are found in the aforementioned words. There is neither flattery nor untruth in them. These words are evidence of the heart of God. His heart is pure, so His words are pure as well.

In the end, what about my words or your words? The Bible gives us much direction about our manner of speech: We are to "speak truth" to one another, "but only such a word as is good for edification . . . ." (Ephesians 4:25, 29). "Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt . . . ." (Colossians 4:6)

Discussion Questions

1. Have you ever voiced a prayer to the Lord like that found in Psalm 12:1?
2. How often do you pray the Scriptures like Psalm 19:14 or Colossians 3:17?
3. Do you ever do a "heart check-up" to ascertain the source of your words? (Matthew 12:34)