Safe Places in God's Pure Words

 Psalm 12:5-8 HCSB "Because of the oppression of the afflicted and the groaning of the poor, I will now rise up." says the Lord. "I will put the one who longs for it in a safe place." The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver refined in an earthen furnace, purified seven times. You, Lord, will guard us. You will protect us from this generation forever. The wicked wander everywhere, and what is worthless is exalted by the human race. 

Don't we all long for safety? Sunday morning after church, someone had parked so close to my car that it was nearly impossible to get the car out. Thankfully the person sitting in the car backed up slightly and I could get out. I didn't think much about it until Sunday night after church when the same car had parked even closer. This time the person sitting in the car didn't move. I had to back up until I bumped into a concrete culvert to get out. I don't know whether it was rational fear or not, but with this happening the second time in one day, I wondered if I should fear for my safety. Last week I was visiting my daughter in another state. We did some tourist type things in a city near her home. Twice before we arrived at our destination, we were approached by people we thought might be dangerous. She got back in the car quickly, locked the doors, located her pepper spray, and drove away as quickly as possible. But the question we all must ask is where we find our safety. Do we find safety in our military, our police officers, our self-defense training, in locked doors, security systems, and home cameras? 

This scripture tells that our safety and protection are from the words of the Lord. From what do the words of the Lord protect us? In context these verses are talking about the oppression of the wicked. Wickedness is everywhere, and what is worthless is exalted. This is as true today as when David composed this psalm. God alone can guard us, protect us from wickedness and put us in a safe place. We need to read His Word, meditate on His Word, apply His Word in our lives, and trust Him as Lord, protector, and safe place in all aspects of our lives. 

(Those of you who know me know that my mind works in strange ways. Those of you who read much of what I write will figure that out quickly. So, stay with me here for just a minute.)

I have a 7-month-old German Shepherd puppy. She's just a baby, a big baby, but still a baby. She's learning, but she is already extremely alert and protective. On my trip to my daughter's house to visit, the puppy thought that the windshield wipers were a threat to our safety. It was interesting to see. I told her multiple times that they weren't going to hurt us, but she was convinced that it was her job to protect me from them. She didn't listen to the reassuring words I gave her. God's Word is pure. God's Word is Truth. God's Word reveals His Holiness. We can trust that His Word speaks safety to us. Aren't we like the puppy sometimes. We don't trust God's Word and try to fight our own battles. 

What safety do you desire that you're trying to obtain by your own efforts? Do you truly trust God's pure Word? In what situations do you need to turn to Him in faith? 

Watch this video to see how foolish we look when we don't believe that God's Word gives us protection, guards us from evil and positions us in a safe place.