Trust When Troubled
(1) In the LORD put I my trust: how say ye to my soul, Flee as a bird to your mountain?
(2) For, lo, the wicked bend their bow, they make ready their arrow upon the string, that they may privily shoot at the upright in heart.
(3) If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?
(4) The LORD is in his holy temple, the LORD's throne is in heaven: his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men.
(5) The LORD trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth.
(6) Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup.
(7) For the righteous LORD loveth righteousness; his countenance doth behold the upright.
--Psalm 11 KJV Bible
Psalm 11, written by David, is a song of trust in the midst of trouble. It has been suggested that the psalm recalls an actual event in David's past--possibly one of the times when Saul tried to kill David, though David gave no cause for Saul's actions. Examples of such events would include 1 Samuel 18:11 and 1 Samuel 19:10, two occasions when Saul tried to pin David to the wall with a spear, but David managed to escape. Another example is in 1 Samuel 23:13, when Saul tried to kill David and his army of about six hundred while they were in Keilah. In this instance, David defeated Philistines who were occupying Keilah, but was still able to leave in time, at God's instruction, before Saul's army could arrive. And another example is in 1 Samuel 26:20, when David confronted Saul, who was chasing David, and convinced Saul to allow David to depart in peace.
In verses 1 through 3 David is faced with the temptation to flee when he should take a stand for God. In verse 1 David is apparently advised by well-meaning counsel to run away and hide because the danger seems too great to survive. The use of "foundations" in verse 3 is a reference to the basic foundations of faith--piety, justice, fidelity, and mercy--which translate to the basic foundations of society--law, order, morality, and goodness. David asks that if the foundations are allowed to be destroyed, what can the righteous do then to fix the whole?
In verses 4 through 7 David expresses his faith in the Lord, who will destroy the wicked and deliver the righteous. The "eyelids" reference in verse 4 is thought to be verbal imagery of the Lord squinting--narrowing His eyes as He scrutinizes the hearts of men. The "snares" mentioned in verse 6 may be a reference to burning coals or some other trap being dropped on the heads of the wicked. In verse 7 David reaffirms that whatever their circumstances, God is always watching the righteous.
O God, when I am tempted to take the easy way out, help me to stand. Remind me that even when no one else is there, You are always watching.
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(2) For, lo, the wicked bend their bow, they make ready their arrow upon the string, that they may privily shoot at the upright in heart.
(3) If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?
(4) The LORD is in his holy temple, the LORD's throne is in heaven: his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men.
(5) The LORD trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth.
(6) Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup.
(7) For the righteous LORD loveth righteousness; his countenance doth behold the upright.
--Psalm 11 KJV Bible
Psalm 11, written by David, is a song of trust in the midst of trouble. It has been suggested that the psalm recalls an actual event in David's past--possibly one of the times when Saul tried to kill David, though David gave no cause for Saul's actions. Examples of such events would include 1 Samuel 18:11 and 1 Samuel 19:10, two occasions when Saul tried to pin David to the wall with a spear, but David managed to escape. Another example is in 1 Samuel 23:13, when Saul tried to kill David and his army of about six hundred while they were in Keilah. In this instance, David defeated Philistines who were occupying Keilah, but was still able to leave in time, at God's instruction, before Saul's army could arrive. And another example is in 1 Samuel 26:20, when David confronted Saul, who was chasing David, and convinced Saul to allow David to depart in peace.
In verses 1 through 3 David is faced with the temptation to flee when he should take a stand for God. In verse 1 David is apparently advised by well-meaning counsel to run away and hide because the danger seems too great to survive. The use of "foundations" in verse 3 is a reference to the basic foundations of faith--piety, justice, fidelity, and mercy--which translate to the basic foundations of society--law, order, morality, and goodness. David asks that if the foundations are allowed to be destroyed, what can the righteous do then to fix the whole?
In verses 4 through 7 David expresses his faith in the Lord, who will destroy the wicked and deliver the righteous. The "eyelids" reference in verse 4 is thought to be verbal imagery of the Lord squinting--narrowing His eyes as He scrutinizes the hearts of men. The "snares" mentioned in verse 6 may be a reference to burning coals or some other trap being dropped on the heads of the wicked. In verse 7 David reaffirms that whatever their circumstances, God is always watching the righteous.
O God, when I am tempted to take the easy way out, help me to stand. Remind me that even when no one else is there, You are always watching.
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