Psalm 12 (NIV) - Help, LORD, Everyone lies...and harbors deception in their hearts

From Psalms

Psalm 12 (New International Version, ©2011)
For the director of music. According to sheminith (musical term). A psalm of David.

¹Help, LORD, for no one is faithful anymore;
     those who are loyal have vanished from the human race.
²Everyone lies to their neighbor;
     they flatter with their lips
     but harbor deception in their hearts.

³May the LORD silence all flattering lips
     and every boastful tongue—
⁴those who say,
     “By our tongues we will prevail;
     our own lips will defend us—who is lord over us?”

⁵ “Because the poor are plundered and the needy groan,
     I will now arise,” says the LORD.
     “I will protect them from those who malign them.”
⁶And the words of the LORD are flawless,
     like silver purified in a crucible,
     like gold refined seven times.

⁷You, LORD, will keep the needy safe
     and will protect us forever from the wicked,
⁸who freely strut about
     when what is vile is honored by the human race.

I think it's important as much as possible to try and do one psalm every day, despite doing step work.  Now I say that having just taken a much needed vacation with my family which has interrupted my both my written psalms and my online psalms.  So long as there was no acting out or relapse in the addiction I do not see much fault in that.  In any case, there is a lot of work in step work but as much as possible try to keep both step work and psalms going together.

On today's psalm, psalm 12, we see a lot of overlap and consistency with step 1.  As addicts we were dishonest.  As addicts we harbored deception in our hearts.  Thankfully, the LORD says, "I will arise," and he will protect us from ourselves, "from the protect them from those who malign them."  Or perhaps he will also protect us from those who sell us in our addiction.  From the huge corporations that create and market alcohol and sexual pleasure as a pathway to happiness.  I believe it is a combination - through prayer we will find a pathway to what is important and to more meaningful happiness.  Not a happiness that is based on instant gratification.

Thanks for letting me share.