How desperate the times must've been for the psalmist to say, “There is no longer anyone who is godly.” It’s an exaggeration, yes, but it reveals a deep concern that people had abandoned what is right. For the psalmist, the problem wasn’t abstract. It was the lies swirling all around him, spoken with flattering lips and deceitful hearts.
And this wasn’t just a personal grievance. It carried weight for the whole community.
In the psalm, God responds: “Because the poor are despoiled, because the needy groan, I will now rise up.” Lies and deceit always bring a social cost. And when truth disappears in the streets (and on our screens), it is the poor who suffer first and suffer most. That is why God speaks for them.
That reminds me of a political cartoon I once saw. An average voter sits on a bench between an elephant and a donkey. The animals hurl insults at one another in front of him while, behind his back, they’re holding hands. Their attacks are a coordinated effort to keep the voter confused, distracted and controlled.
Isn't that where we are today? I think many of us sense it’s true, but we still fall for it. We fall hard for it and are left to endure its ugly consequences.
But notice something in the psalm. The people trapped in the middle aren’t folks like you or me. God sees the poor and the vulnerable caught in the crossfire. They are the ones who bear the brunt of manipulation and dishonesty. 
So, God speaks for the oppressed. Not only to comfort them but also to confront the systems that prey upon them. In a world of empty words, God’s word remains true for them. And so the call for Christians is clear. We are to stand where God stands, on the side of the silenced, the lied-to and the misled.
Stay blessed...john | 
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