How to Stand On Solid Ground When the Foundations Are Shaken
Psalm 11 is a Psalm for Today
As a kid, I remember hearing news reports of wars and rumors of wars. Those conflicts were far removed from my life, and I naively assumed the grown-ups would figure it out. This week, like many of you, I’ve grieved over the news coming out of Israel. The headlines and images of the Hamas attack on Israel have been horrific, only to be followed by equally evil and apathetic responses from the world’s stage.
When death and destruction are celebrated instead of being condemned, it feels like what’s left of our crumbling foundations is quickly eroding away beneath our feet. How do we stand firm in our faith during such perilous and shaky times? At some unknown event in David’s life, he asked the same questions.
Flight or Faith?
In Psalm 11, Israel was going through a similar national crisis. Enemy assassins were lurking all around, and King David’s advisors urged him to run and hide in the mountains. David’s response was, “In the Lord, I put my trust: how can you say to my soul, flee as a bird to your mountain” (Psalm 11:1)?
Why should he take flight when his initial response was one of faith? As Israel’s King, David knew that if he ran away from his enemies, panic would ensue. Setting an example of faith, and drawing from past victories, David declared his trust in God. But questioning what was happening on a larger scale, his faith was mixed with fear. He asked, “If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do” (Psalm 11:3)?
Have you felt a similar mixture of fear and faith when you read the news, and try to make sense of all that is nonsensical? Do you wonder if evil will always prevail and if justice will ever be served? Does it feel like the basic foundations of upholding truth and goodness are rapidly crumbling away? David’s psalm gives us three ways to renew our perspective, and set our feet on solid ground, even when the foundations are being shaken.