Psalm 11:1

New King James Version

In the Lord I put my trust;
How can you say to my soul,
“Flee as a bird to your mountain”?

For Encouragement

How do you respond when pressure mounts in your life or troubles assail you? Do you seek refuge in Jesus or run for cover with somebody or something else? It is not a question of if but when trouble will erupt in the life of anyone of us. Didn’t Christ tell us of the certainty of trouble for us in this world (Jn 16:33)? His assurance to us is not to panic because He has won the victory for us. We find safety and peace when we seek refuge in Him in our period of crisis.

I like what Nehemiah said when Shemaiah, a secret informer to Sanballat and company, tried to trick him into taking cover in the Temple, claiming his enemies were coming to kill him at night (Neh. 6:10-13)

Should such a man as I flee? And who is there, such as I, who would go into the Temple to save his life? I will not go in! (11)

He was a man of faith and prayer, and he knew enough to take refuge in the faithfulness of God to protect him against his enemies.

Sadly, many Christians turn to different people and places for shelter in their crises. Some seek refuge in alcohol and drugs, which ruin their lives. Others find refuge in friends and colleagues who give advice that leads them astray or worsens their situation. 

In Psalm 11, David was in trouble with his foes and assailants. They had come against him with bows and arrows, and where did his friends counsel him to seek refuge? To flee as a bird to your mountains. But how could David do that when he knew God as his refuge (1)? He had taken refuge in the Lord several times—against lions, bears, and Goliath. David had tested the sanctuary of the Lord and found it safer than any other fortress. He could, therefore, trust in the Lord’s protection through the darkest valleys and crucibles of life orchestrated by Satan and his minions. How could anyone tell David to flee to take cover on the mountain?

The Lord is in his holy Temple;the Lord still rules from heaven (4).

This scripture is the assurance of David in God’s sovereign rule over all that happens in the earth and His awareness of what everyone does. He watches over the righteous but hates the wicked with a passion (5-6). In God’s righteousness and justice, David could put his trust and remain sturdy in crises (7).

How about you? Do you trust in the faithfulness of the Lord to sustain and protect you as His child? Did He not deliver you from eternal wrath when you trusted Jesus with your life? How can you not trust Him as your refuge in the storms of life?

Pray with Me

Our Father in heaven. We thank you for providing an impregnable fortress for us in Christ Jesus. Let your Holy Spirit direct us to take refuge in Him through every storm and gale. In His name we pray, amen.