1 Help, LORD, for the godly are no more; the faithful have vanished from among men. 2 Everyone lies to his neighbor; their flattering lips speak with deception. 3 May the LORD cut off all flattering lips and every boastful tongue 4 that says, "We will triumph with our tongues; we own our lips – who is our master?"

Did you ever think you were the only one left that was really trying to do what was right? We look around us and there is so much wickedness and so much ungodliness and we wonder if the whole world has turned away from God. This attitude usually comes from a lack of knowledge or from our ignoring what other good people are doing. It may be because we just don’t see the results we want to see. I once had a good friend who was a hard worker in the local church where I was at the time (he is now deceased). He tried hard to do what was right in his own life and did all he could to help others to do the same. He often said to me that he was the only one left who really cared about the souls of others.

He was in good company with this attitude. Elijah said he was ready to die because he had tried so hard to do right and he was the only one left in all of Israel who had not bowed the knee to Baal. God told him that there were still 7000 who had not bowed to Baal. Then God told him to get up and go to work. David is expressing this same idea here. He is left all alone to serve God while all others have forsaken him. Yet, this is not really the case.

The truth is that it does not matter about others. While we may attempt to teach them and persuade them to serve God, we can only change what we are doing ourselves. If we are doing what God wants and we are faithful in our service, we can know that God will bless us in our work. The real danger is that too often this attitude comes because of self-righteousness on our part and that is usually coupled with contempt for those whom we view as less holy as we. In either case we need to adopt the view of Jesus who was indeed left all alone to carry out the will of God in the face of his enemies. He kept entrusting himself to him who judges righteously. Whether alone or in a crowd, our job is to do the will of God and he blesses it with results.

O God, giver of all things. Please help me to trust you enough that I don’t become depressed by my own actions or lack of them. Help me to know that my responsibility is to do your will, share your gospel and encourage others with a loving spirit. Give me faith to allow you to be the judge. Teach me to be loving and forgiving in my attitude toward others. Above all, teach me to trust you and your word. Give me wisdom to try the spirits to know if they are from you. Give me the initiative and strength to live up to what I have learned from your word. Forgive me when I fail. In Jesus’ name.