Psalm 11
Saturday, 14 May 2022
“When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?” -Psalm 11:3
Psalm 11 was written during a crisis moment in the life of David. His life was in danger and those who loved him advised him to “flee like a bird to the mountain.” The world is evil and wicked than ever before. There are times in life when evil seems to overcome and we are tempted to flee from the situations or circumstances over which we think we have no victory. David was in one such situation but his confidence in the Lord -“In the Lord, I take refuge”- is commendable. We need to seek God in difficult times and we also need to be assured that He will deliver us at the right time.
What are the righteous to do when faced with adversity/when they are attacked by the evil around them? Do they flee or do they try to hide and escape? Look into David’s response: he put his complete trust in the Lord. He knew that the Lord sits on His throne in heaven, and He sees all that takes place under His watchful eye. A few things the righteous can do even when he feels the foundations are being destroyed:
We are called to put our ultimate trust in GOD: As the king, David was a servant of God to carry out justice on the wrong-doer but David knew that the God whom he served was a God of justice. He trusted God to deliver him from the wicked. David had the Kingdom perspective in him. He knew that the Lord is on the throne. This means that we are to have an eternal perspective on the attack of the wicked. Roman 12: 19: "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay, says the Lord." Wars and rumors of war will continue until Jesus returns; instead of trusting “in chariots or in horses” the righteous look to the Lord for their help and shield. Its to a life of peace He has called us!
We are to be rich in love and compassion: Even when under attack and oppression, the righteous must be ready to demonstrate love and compassion. It is the kind of love-agape demonstrated by Jesus on the cross. It is the kind of compassion shown by David when he did not kill Saul even when he had the chance to do so. Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, ‘Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven.’” (Matt.5:43-44)
We are still to carry on the gospel call: Even to those places where we are faced with stiff opposition and oppression, the good news of Jesus Christ has to reach them. The apostles went to Samaria and other places despite the opposition and so are we to go to the ends of the earth. All who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. The Word of God assures us that those persecuted for righteousness sake are blessed. Theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven! (Matt.5:10)
The Lord loves the righteous deeds of the upright (vs.7). We who have been made right with God through our faith in Christ Jesus are called to mature into Christ-likeness through the continuing work of the Spirit! We are to allow God’s Word and the Holy Spirit to renew our hearts daily so that a righteous heart is maintained from which will flow righteous deeds- even when we see the foundations are destroyed!
Think on: “The LORD detests the way of the wicked, but he loves those who pursue righteousness.” (Proverbs 15:9)