Psalm 11

Of David.
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 the sons of men; his eyes examine them.
⁵ The LORD examines the righteous, but the wicked and those who love violence his soul hates.
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; upright men will see his face.

Question for the day, “who is God to you”?

This is the question that this psalm will answer for you.

Verse one gives us the answer to the question of who you place your faith in: God, man, or self. Here the psalmist tells the reader that his faith is in God so why should he flee from his problems. So, when the wicked attact the righteous and the very truths that the righteous base their faith upon are tested; what actions should the righteous take? Simply put your faith in God and purse a life of righteousness with God. This task is not as easy as it seems. Walking with the Lord and trusting in Him only is a difficult task for a worldly person. We must look at our walk of faith and compare it to a child learning how to walk. They stumble a lot along the way in this learning process. However, as the coffee table or couch provides the extra support a child needs in the process of learning how to walk, so must a young believer learn to hold on to the Word of God when times of temptations come into his life. Look to Matthew chapter four and see how this is the same principle that Christ applied when he was tempted (tested) by Satan in the wilderness. Having raised seven children and watching them learning how to walk I have noticed that the process that a child goes through to reach the goal of walking is like the process that a Christian goes through in learning how to live by faith. A child first learns to roll over, then the process of lifting up the head, followed by scooting, followed by crawling and then pulling themselves up to walk while holding on to something. However, once a child finally let’s go and start taking the first few steps he usually falls. Yet, these falls become fewer and fewer until the child can walk on his own. And finally, the walking becomes running and the child starts his process of exploring the world around him. Our walk of faith is also like this. The more we stay in God’s Word the more we hid it in our heart. So, where the world questions your faith your reply to them can be just like Christ’s reply was to Satan “but it is written”.

Verse three ask a question which several Christians are asking today “When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?”. As I take a look at the culture in which we now live today I believe that Harry Ironside reference to the Lord’s second coming was correct in his Commentary of the seven churches of Revelation. The closing paragraph on his commentary of chapters two and three of Revelations summarizes the world in which we live in today:

And so, we have come down to the closing days of the present dispensation of grace. The Ephesus period passed away long ago, and the same is true of the Smyrna and Pergamos periods. Thyatira, which, as we have seen, speaks of Romanism, and began properly when the Pope was recognized as universal Bishop, is with us still, and will go on to the end. Sardis, which began centuries later, remains to the present time, and will remain till the Lord shall come. Philadelphia, thank God, is also here, and, though it has but a little strength, will also abide to the end. But Laodicea is more and more in evidence and seems to be almost swamping everything that is of God.
The next great event is the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together unto Him. For this we wait, and our longing hearts cry, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”

For me the answer to this question can be found in verse four of this Psalm: “He observes the sons of men; his eyes examine them”. As I grow in my faith, I have now realized that I cannot change anything that the Lord does not wants to change. This is the same for both the believer and the unbeliever. With the theme of the election of 2008 being “Change”, more and more believers should stop and take refuge in the Lord. But waiting is hard. Sometimes it might mean that the Lord will take the most precious thing away from you to bring you closer to understanding his ways. I believe that change is happening in the world today, however this change is happening as a result of “His will be done on earth as it is in heaven”. As the Lord is standing outside the doors of the professing church of Laodicea and saying “Behold I stand at the door and knock” we must open the door to him. But this is an individual movement not an organized movement. For this verse continues “I will come into him and will sup with him, and he with me” and is speaking to individuals and not the church. Yes, the foundations of the church and the truths on which the church stand for are being destroyed, but the Lord still has reserve many that has not bowed down to the Gods of this world. What is my purpose then? I love Paul’s reply that is found in II Timothy 2: 19-22:

Howbeit the firm foundation of God stands, having this seal, The Lord knows them that are his: Let everyone that names the name of the Lord depart from unrighteousness. Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some unto honor, and some unto dishonor. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, meet for the master’s use, prepared unto every good work. Therefore, flee evil desires and pursue after righteousness, faith, love, pace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

Therefore, the heart cry of the righteous should be, prepare me for Thy use O Lord.