“The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O Lord, thou shalt preserve them from this generation forever.” Psalm 12:6-7
The hands of the refiner were true. He handled the metal with precision, care, and great purpose. He heated the silver in the hottest part of the flame, the blue tongue licked at the lump of matte metal until its body collapsed under the heat, slowly becoming a formless puddle. But as the metal subsided to the heat, something happened, separation. The purest of the metal separated from the dross and the refiner, with great agility, removed the unwanted until all that was left was the purest silver. Silver with such quality that it reflected like a mirror. One trip through the fire tested the silver and it exuded a beauty that the world would treasure, but for the refiner, for this particular project, he needed not just good, not just great, but only the purest of the pure. And for this he would refine the silver no less than 7 times. The result would be silver that contained no impurities, no contamination, no flaws, nothing but the perfect purity for which it was created.
In Psalm 11, to no surprise, we see David finding more trouble in this world. His enemies are all around him but this time, they do not wield swords and arrows, but something much worse…fiery untamed tongues. (James 3:1-12) God’s Word has much to say about the deadly poison that can be laced within our words, and it is just this poison that David is battling as he writes the 11th poetic song. But as David was reeling from evil gossip, vicious back-biting, and malicious slander, he had a shield. David had a shield against the lies and wickedness that the ungodly sought to wield against him. And that shield was the truth and purity that lies within the pages of God’s Holy Word. And David’s shield was not constructed of just any mere metal, it was a metal that had been tried, tested, and proven. It was a metal that was pure in its core element and as a result also brought beauty and value into the life that chose to utilize it. David, as he held the power of scripture in his hands, knew the value of what he held.
Today there is a guarantee in your life. Harsh words, slander, gossip, and even hateful speech intended to harm you, will reach your ears. But as they do, what will do with them? Simply allowing them to strike home and do their full intended damage will do untold harm. Without a shield, your journey will be perilous indeed. Take a note from Psalm 11 and take refuge in the purity and power of God’s Words. Words that have been tested by time yet sparkle as polished silver. Words that have been criticized and condemned by countless scholars, atheists, and doubters, yet they still stand as relevant today as they day they were breathed into existence. And this pure truth lies within your grasp today. It lies within the pages of scripture, refined 7 times and sparkling in its purity as the light of God dances off its surface. Pick it up, invest your heart into it, and allow your existence to be rooted not in the lies and babble of this world, but in the perfect, holy, and pure Words of Almighty God.
“Every word of God is tested; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.” Psalm 30:5
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