In espousing more behavior of the wicked, which seems like Psalms does a lot of, as Psalms should because there is no shortage of wicked in the world, we learn another trait of the wicked, one that can be quite convicting to our own dispositions:   

Psa 12:1  For the choir director: A psalm of David, to be accompanied by an eight-stringed instrument. Help, O LORD, for the godly are fast disappearing! The faithful have vanished from the earth!

Psa 12:2  Neighbors lie to each other, speaking with flattering lips and deceitful hearts.

Psa 12:3  May the LORD cut off their flattering lips and silence their boastful tongues.

Flattering lips that lie to one another sounds awfully familiar!  How often have we found ourselves guilty of this, where we may say or think something hurtful or bad about someone, only to be nice to their face.  The keyboard warrior comes to mind, where they can’t stop saying nasty things on social media, but they are nice as pie in person.  

Sure, we can all think of someone guilty of this, but also, how often have we not done the same thing?  When our pride gets checked by someone else, our intrinsic defenses make us quick to hate someone.  Maybe that someone got a brand new car, or a pay raise or promotion or something that just arouses our insecurities and the next thing we thing we know, we are killing them behind closed doors with our thoughts and our words, all the while being nice to their faces.  

Well, today’s Psalms tells us that is wicked behavior; deceitful hearts yet flattering lips.  Another great reality check in God’s Word, or God’s revelation of Himself to us, in what God doesn’t like and behaviors that we should strive to avoid.