Trust The Lord, For He Still Rules
I trust in the Lord for protection. Psalm 11:1
Has a trusted friend ever given you good advice, but it just didn’t feel right to you? In Psalm 11, David received that type of advice, probably from a close advisor.
We don’t have a clear historical setting of the event David faced in this Psalm. But he followed up his comment in this verse by repeating the advice he had received.
So why do you say to me, “Fly like a bird to the mountains for safety! Psalm 11:1
I’m sure this advisor gave him sound advice, but it just didn’t sit well with David. Even in his youth, he chose to face danger instead of running from it. Look at what he told King Saul.
But David persisted. “I have been taking care of my father’s sheep and goats,” he said. “When a lion or a bear comes to steal a lamb from the flock, I go after it with a club and rescue the lamb from its mouth. If the animal turns on me, I catch it by the jaw and club it to death. 1 Samuel 17:34-35
Young David wanted to convince Saul to let him go up against Goliath. When Goliath saw the Israelites send a boy out, laughing, he vowed to kill him. But David didn’t face the giant alone.
David replied to the Philistine, “You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies—the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 1 Samuel 17:45
Our Enemies Prepare for Battle
In the second verse, David acknowledged the wickedness of his enemies and their preparations for battle. He also revealed their battle plan.
The wicked are stringing their bows and fitting their arrows on the bowstrings. They shoot from the shadows at those whose hearts are right. Psalm 11:2
In plain words, he told us that wicked people will try to destroy the righteous. David, however, repeatedly put his total trust in God, as we can see in these other Psalms.
- End the evil of those who are wicked, and defend the righteous. For you look deep within the mind and heart, O righteous God. God is my shield, saving those whose hearts are true and right. Psalm 7:9-10
- You have rebuked the nations and destroyed the wicked; you have erased their names forever. Psalm 9:5
- The wicked think, “God isn’t watching us! He has closed his eyes and won’t even see what we do!” Arise, O Lord! Punish the wicked, O God! Do not ignore the helpless! Psalm 10:11-12
- Light shines on the godly, and joy on those whose hearts are right. Psalm 97:11
The wicked one still hunts the children of God. He still shoots his arrows from the shadows; yes, the shadows called sin. But like David, we too, can keep our trust in the Lord.
David faced his enemies and fought them with swords and spears. He often overtook them or sent them on the run. Unlike him, we fight an unseen enemy.
For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:12
Don’t Fear the Enemy, Trust the Lord
The shadows our enemy hides in are called deceit and deception. And trying to fight him on your own only spells disaster. The Lord provides His armor for our use when we trust Him.
A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. Ephesians 6:10-11
As we continue to examine Psalm 11, we come to a pivotal verse not only for David but also for us.
But the Lord is in his holy Temple; the Lord still rules from heaven. He watches everyone closely, examining every person on earth. Psalm 11:4
Someone once said, “Has it occurred to you that nothing ever occurs to God?” We can trust Him and know that the Lord sees everything we do and everything done to us.
When something happens to you, good or bad, God doesn’t say, “I’m sorry, I didn’t see that.” No! He closely watches everything about everyone. That includes you!
In his first epistle, Peter told us to give all our worries and cares to God. In other words, trust Him because the Lord cares about you. Continuing in Psalm 11, look what else David said.
In verse 5, he says, “The Lord examines both the righteous and the wicked.” Then, he divided the two groups, describing how the Lord felt about them. First, he mentioned the wicked.
He hates those who love violence. He will rain down blazing coals and burning sulfur on the wicked, punishing them with scorching winds. Psalm 11:5-6
I wouldn’t want to fill the shoes of anyone in that type of love/hate relationship, especially with those consequences. They sound somewhat like eternal hell. Finally, he talks about the virtuous.
The Lord Loves Justice
For the righteous Lord loves justice. The virtuous will see his face. Psalm 11:7
Let’s define the word virtuous. The dictionary says that a virtuous person conforms to moral and ethical principles. One person defined it like this; “Virtuous is “good” with a halo.”
Even though it differed from ours in many ways, David’s life also had many similarities. David had enemies; we have an enemy. Wicked people surrounded him; they surround us, too.
David might have been tempted to run, but like him, where would we run to? David knew how to trust the Lord. We too, can put our total trust in the Lord as well.
Lord, we trust you because you closely watch over our every move. As you rule from your throne, thank you for protecting us from the wicked one.
Check out these related posts about putting your trust in the Lord.
- When Out of Your Comfort Zone, Trust God
- How to Trust God in Difficult Circumstances
- Put Your Trust In The Lord
- Trust In The Lord, He Will Never Fail You
- Don’t Worry About Tomorrow
- How To Trust God When You’ve Had Enough
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