What Can The Righteous Do?
In the LORD I take refuge.
How then can you say to me:
“Flee like a bird to your mountain.
For look, the wicked bend their bows;
They set their arrows against the strings
To shoot from the shadows at the upright in heart.
When the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?”
The LORD is in his holy temple;
The LORD is on his heavenly throne
He observes everyone on earth…
On the wicked he will rain fiery coals and burning sulfur…
For the LORD is righteous, he loves justice;
The upright will see his face.
Psalm 11:1-7, NIV
How then can you say to me:
“Flee like a bird to your mountain.
For look, the wicked bend their bows;
They set their arrows against the strings
To shoot from the shadows at the upright in heart.
When the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?”
The LORD is in his holy temple;
The LORD is on his heavenly throne
He observes everyone on earth…
On the wicked he will rain fiery coals and burning sulfur…
For the LORD is righteous, he loves justice;
The upright will see his face.
Psalm 11:1-7, NIV
David seems to be having a chat about the prevailing conditions in society.
The wicked seem to be dealing ruthlessly with people and the very moral foundations and order of society seem to be crumbling.
It seems as though David is being encouraged to consider the possibility of fleeing to a place of refuge in the mountains.
But David asserts confidently that his trust is in God alone and that the LORD is his refuge.
He will flee to the presence of God; not run off to seek shelter on a mountain.
So, when the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?
The righteous can take solace in the fact that God is still on his throne and that nothing escapes his eyes. At his appointed time, the God of justice will judge the wicked and reward the righteous.
There is a lot that we can apply to the current conditions in society:
It is evident that there is so much wickedness, lawlessness, immorality, and ungodliness that the very foundation of society is being ripped apart. There are some who have literally moved to mountains and communes to escape the broader ills of society.
But what can the righteous do? The righteous don’t have to flee. The righteous can still live their lives like shining lights in this crooked and perverse generation (Philippians 2:15). They can take solace in the fact that God is still in control and the upright will see his face and, ultimately, his salvation.
The wicked seem to be dealing ruthlessly with people and the very moral foundations and order of society seem to be crumbling.
It seems as though David is being encouraged to consider the possibility of fleeing to a place of refuge in the mountains.
But David asserts confidently that his trust is in God alone and that the LORD is his refuge.
He will flee to the presence of God; not run off to seek shelter on a mountain.
So, when the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?
The righteous can take solace in the fact that God is still on his throne and that nothing escapes his eyes. At his appointed time, the God of justice will judge the wicked and reward the righteous.
There is a lot that we can apply to the current conditions in society:
It is evident that there is so much wickedness, lawlessness, immorality, and ungodliness that the very foundation of society is being ripped apart. There are some who have literally moved to mountains and communes to escape the broader ills of society.
But what can the righteous do? The righteous don’t have to flee. The righteous can still live their lives like shining lights in this crooked and perverse generation (Philippians 2:15). They can take solace in the fact that God is still in control and the upright will see his face and, ultimately, his salvation.
Prayer: Father, the moral condition of society is crumbling by the day. But please help me to stay strong and continue to trust in you as my refuge. Amen