As I continue to study my way through the Psalms, I read Psalm 11 this morning, and I found something very practical.  We observe in this Psalm that it can be broken down into two main divisions.  In verses 1-3, David describes the temptation he faces to give into fear.  Then in verses 4-7, he lists the arguments that kept him from giving into fear.  

THE CIRCUMSTANCE

Saul is the current king of Israel.  Because of Saul’s disobedience, the Spirit of God has left him, and he is being tormented.  Saul feels threatened because David has been chosen by God to be his replacement.  The result of Saul’s insecurity leads to repeated attempts on David’s life.  David has escaped those attempts, but Saul has not given up doing whatever it takes to maintain his place as king.  You can find the details of this story in 1 Samuel, chapters 19-26, if you’d like to read it for yourself.  I highly recommend doing that, because when you read of all that David faced at the time this Psalm was written, what we learn from David’s choices will become so much more powerful. 

THE DECLARATION

David starts out this Psalm with a declaration – “In the Lord I take refuge”. The Hebrew word for the phrase “I take refuge” (ḥāsâ) is imperfect, (on-going, not one-and-done), and it means to flee for protection.  It is often used figuratively to mean to put trust in (God), confide or hope in (God).  

THE TEMPTATION – WHAT I “FEEL”

After his declaration of trust in the Lord, David had people chirping in his ears.  What they were saying to him was totally based on what they saw taking place.  They were so “kind” as to describe David’s situation to him (as if he didn’t see it for himself… shmh…eyeroll).  They told him of imminent danger (“the wicked bend their bow”).  They warned him of a potential surprise attack (“the wicked shoot in darkness”).  They told him that there would be no law and order to protect him (“If the foundations are destroyed, What can the righteous do?”).  They saw Saul’s reign to be lacking justice and righteousness.  So based on what they could see, their advice to David was FLEE!!!   

Now think here with me and place yourself in David’s position.  You know that God has anointed you to be king, but there is a roadblock in the way.  The roadblock is that someone else is already king, and that “someone else” hates you because you are a threat to the throne.  And if hating you wasn’t enough, that “someone else” wants you dead. I would think that David’s emotions are running pretty high right now.  Honestly, mine would too!  BUT…David fights the temptation to give into emotions and makes a choice to ignore what he feels and focus on what he knows.  

THE CHOICE – WHAT I “KNOW”

Fear and faith cannot dwell in your heart at the same time.  One inevitably will push the other out.  David chose to have a “faith focus” that was based on truth and not feelings.  He made several blanket statements that helped him push any fear out the door.

“The Lord is in His holy temple”.  David knew that no matter what was going on governmentally, God was still in the tabernacle.  God’s presence was still with His people.  God hadn’t gone anywhere.  There will be a new king on the earthly throne of Israel.  God is Sovereign and in complete control.

I sat in this phrase for a bit because God had a lot to say to me.  Let’s bring this home for a minute.  If you are facing dire circumstances, wondering if God has forgotten about you.  Rest in these truths.  

Jesus “is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for me”, Romans 8:34.

Jesus “lives to make intercession for us”, Hebrews 7:25.

“We have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous”, 1 John 2:1.

“Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let’s hold firmly to our confession. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things just as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let’s approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace for help at the time of our need.”, Hebrews 4:14-16.

“The LORD’S throne is in heaven”.  God is not just in the earthly tabernacle; He is on the throne in heaven.  David was confident that God was the King of kings.  God anointed him to occupy the earthly throne of Israel, and David knew God’s say-so trumps anything an earthly king may say, or in this case, threaten to do.  

“God’s eyes behold”.  The Hebrew word for behold (ḥāzâ) is imperfect (ongoing, not one-and-done) and means to have a vision of, to mentally perceive, to gaze at.  Nothing gets past God!!

“His eyelids test the sons of men”.  The Hebrew word for test (bāḥan) is also imperfect, and it means to test (especially metals); to investigate.  I am impressed with David.  The following phrase really shows how he sees God as a righteous judge.  God sees all.  God judges all.  

“The LORD tests the righteous and the wicked”.  When I considered the definition of  test in light of testing metals, I followed a little rabbit trail.  I looked at the various methods for testing metal. There is a bend test, an impact test, a hardness test, a fatigue test, a corrosion resistance test, a wear test, just to name a few.  

Now if I was metal being tested, none of those techniques sound particularly enjoyable to me. They sound downright uncomfortable.  As I see it, I would say that the situations that both Saul and David are facing are “tests” – they’re uncomfortable experiences.  But those experiences were given by God to reveal the strength of each person.  

The reaction of Saul, knowing that God was removing him from the throne, was anger and revenge against his replacement.  His choice of action was rooted in what “he” could do – kill the threat to the throne.  

The reaction of David to the circumstances, being anointed king, but having a death threat issued, was to trust God over circumstances.  David’s reaction revealed his strength was rooted IN GOD, and not in what “he” would do.  David rested in the fact that God saw both Saul’s reactions, as well as his own, and God would deal with each accordingly.  

FORWARD FOCUS

David knew God.  He knew that God loves righteousness.  The phrase “the upright will behold His face” was powerful to me.  The same Hebrew word (ḥāzâ) is used here as was used in the phrase “God’s eyes behold”. Just as God’s eyes “behold” what’s going on in our situations, the upright will “behold” His face.  

Think this through with me.  As believers, we know that we will one day see God face to face.  He promised that (1 Corinthians 13:12).  But until that day, I can also rest in the fact that, as I look for God in my circumstances, I can come to see His fingerprints all over my life.  While the Bible tells us that, “ In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”, (John 16:33), it also tells us something else we can know.  “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose”.  

God has a purpose for each and every one of His children.  And until the day we see Him face to face, we can CHOOSE to find refuge in Him and not try to fix things in our own strength and in our own way.  We can CHOOSE to fight the temptation to filter our emotions through the earthly perspective, what we can see.  We can CHOOSE to allow our faith to push our fear right out the door.  We can CHOOSE to rest in the fact that God sees, God tests, and God is Sovereign.  We can CHOOSE to have a forward focus – looking for Him in our circumstances and looking forward to the day we will see Him face to face.