The unshakeable God - Psalm 11:1-7

[Steve L]

Psalm 11
To the choirmaster. Of David.
1 In the LORD I take refuge;how can you say to my soul,
"Flee like a bird to your mountain,
2 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;
3 if the foundations are destroyed,
what can the righteous do?"

4 The LORD is in his holy temple;
the LORD’s throne is in heaven;
his eyes see, his eyelids test the children of man.
5 The LORD tests the righteous,
but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence.
6 Let him rain coals on the wicked;
fire and sulfur and a scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup.
7 For the LORD is righteous;he loves righteous deeds;
the upright shall behold his face.

David writes this psalm as a way of expressing the pain of suffering and how it shakes the very foundations of life for the sufferer while at the same time reflecting that there is no real answer to the problem of suffering other than the sovereignty of God. In verses 1-3 he asks what for me what is the million dollar question - "God is the refuge of my soul. How can I take refuge in him when the very foundations of life as I know it are destroyed?" Here it is in all of its simplicity. Suffering challenges the belief structures of a human life - Christian or non-Christian. It really makes no difference. We cannot quantify suffering either as if one is worse than another kind of suffering - to the sufferer what they are undergoing is awful and foundation shaking.

The challenge is to work through the suffering and still fleeing to God. Somewhere between verses 3 and 4 David concludes that there is no real answer to the question of the why of suffering. There is no solution to the why this particular suffering. There is nothing other than God's sovereignty that gives any meaning or purpose to the entire event in the life of the sufferer. So David resolves that while personal foundations may shake, God has not moved and he has not surrendered his control. He is still sovereign and he is still present. Somehow this resolution gives David great comfort. As one who has suffered much in terms of personal health and in a variety of personal losses I too can find comfort in this. My God is not shaken. He has not moved. He tests and purifies his children and promises that one day they shall see his face!!

Lord help me to turn to you as I struggle to understand your presence in the midst of my dark times. Thank you for your promise that you do not move and that you do not surrender your sovereignty. I long to see your face.