“In the Lord I take refuge; how can you say to my soul, “Flee like a bird to your mountain, for behold, the wicked bend the bow; they have fitted their arrow to the string to shoot in the dark at the upright in heart; if the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” The Lord is in his holy temple; the Lord’s throne is in heaven; his eyes see, his eyelids test the children of man. The Lord tests the righteous, but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence. Let him rain coals on the wicked; fire and sulfur and a scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup. For the Lord is righteous; he loves righteous deeds; the upright shall behold his face.” (Ps 11:1–7)

David wrote this Psalm when Saul was seeking his life (1 Sam. 19). Knowing that Saul had a hit out on David, led David’s friends to tell him to flee to the mountains. It was his only hope of safety. The society was corrupt. The judges in the king’s pocket. Everyone was against David and out for his life. If he wanted to survive, he needed to leave and never come back.

Against all odds and in the face of great danger, David did the opposite. He didn’t leave, instead, he stayed. The reason was because he took refuge in God, trusting that His righteous judgment would prevail.

We too should trust in the Lord, even though our society is trending more and more liberal and anti-Christian. Even though the foundations are being destroyed (becoming lawless under lawless leaders), we can stay and not flee. No matter what men do, our God still sits on His throne in heaven and judges the evil in our world. We don’t have to flee or hold up by ourselves. We can confidently be salt and light in a godless society, trusting the Lord to care for us even if men are out to get us.

Admittedly, this is easier said than done, but our God is great. He is the Creator of the heavens and earth. He is the just Judge who reigns over all, and nothing happens outside of His control. We should, then, place our faith and trust in Him, running to Him as our refuge.

Question for Reflection

1. Is God your refuge?

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