Trust in the Lord

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Scripture: Psalm 11 (NIV)

1 In the Lord I take refuge.

How then can you say to me:

“Flee like a bird to your mountain.

2 For look, the wicked bend their bows

they set their arrows against the strings

to shoot from the shadows

at the upright in heart.

3 When the foundations are being destroyed,

what can the righteous do?”

4 The Lord is in his holy temple;

the Lord is on his heavenly throne.

He observes everyone on earth;

his eyes examine them.

5 The Lord examines the righteous,

but the wicked, those who love violence,

he hates with a passion.

6 On the wicked he will rain

fiery coals and burning sulfur;

a scorching wind will be their lot.

7 For the Lord is righteous,

he loves justice;

the upright will see his face.

 

Devotion:

            The psalm we are looking at today is a word of encouragement when all seems to be falling apart. Verse three is quoted with some frequency as a plea of distress against the forces of our age which seems to be tearing apart the long-held foundations of society. Taken out of context in this way it can make one think that all is lost and there is no hope. However, the context of all seven verses provides hope against the seeming despair of verse three.

            The last line of verse one through the end of verse three are urging us to reject the Lord as our refuge and flee to some earthly place of alleged safety. The psalmist, however, elects to stay by the Lord and watch as the Lord takes care of all enemies. We all may experience the temptation to flee from the protection of the Lord in times of distress and opposition. Sometimes, we all feel that the Lord is far from us, and we wonder if He is really there at all.

            Let us, therefore, seek to remain faithful to the Lord at all times. We can be assured of His protection against all enemies that come against us. Even if we suffer some temporal loss, we can be assured that our souls have eternal security in God. The wicked will go from bad to worse in the scheme of eternity, but the righteous will be preserved forever. We can be at peace then in the midst of the struggles of daily life that our Lord is with us. Let us pray this psalm during all our trials. Amen. 

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