God Is Our Refuge
The world we live in today is full of great evil. The natural response of the righteous to this great evil is fear. Common wisdom says to run, move away from people so as to be safe. What can the righteous person do then in the midst of evil and hate in society at large? David deals with this question in Psalm 11.
David opens this psalm with a declaration that he takes refuge in the Lord (1). His trust in the Lord is both in a physical sense and a spiritual sense. David has trusted in the Lord for salvation of his soul, and will continue to trust the Lord for his protection from danger. Many around him tell him to flee and hide from the evil around him (1), who seek to destroy the righteous of this world (2). David responds by asking a rhetorical question, “If the very foundation of society are thrown down, what can the righteous do?” (3).
David’s answer is that the righteous can take refuge in the Lord (4-7). David gives four reasons that the righteous can trust their God. First, God is sovereign over all the affairs of the earth (4). Believers must fix their confidence in their God, and and nothing else. Second, God is omniscient and knows all things (4). He is not surprised at the wickedness of people. Third, God tests the righteous and repudiates the ungodly (5-6). The righteous face testing by God to show them their hearts and whether they live by faith or fear (5). The wicked meanwhile will face God’s judgement and will not escape His wrath (5-6). The final reason is that God is righteous (7). God loves His justified people, and their righteous deeds. They will see His face (7).