The life of the man after God’s own heart had its great moments of triumph—he had killed Goliath, the nation heralded him as a young man who had slain ten times those slain by Saul. Yet at times, Saul and his army threatened his life, and then later king David’s own son drove him from the palace.
We do not know when David wrote Psalm eleven, but it describes a time when “the foundations are destroyed.” David asked what can a righteous man do when this happens (verse 3). Every American is troubled by the deadly virus, financial problems, murder, rioting and looting. David shows us what we can do when foundations crumble.
Those around David thought that his future was so bleak. Their lives only were focused on the physical foundations of what was happening. They saw the wicked with their arrows ready to destroy (v. 2). They told David to flee like a bird to the mountain (v. 1). They thought the collapse of a life of normality and the destruction of life’s foundation meant it was time to just give up. David’s response? “In the Lord I put my trust, how can you say…flee as a bird?” His words are words we need to write on our hearts when foundations are crumbling. I have put my trust in God!
Are you troubled today? Read this short psalm and meditate on it. David knew the external foundation was destroyed, but nothing really had changed. His trust was never in those external foundations, for nothing had changed.
Saul or Absalom may have ruled Israel, but God still ruled the universe! Nothing had changed. “The Lord is in His holy temple, the Lord’s throne is in heaven” (v. 4). The Lord’s eyes saw the wicked and they had failed the heavenly test. The Lord’s eyes saw David dealing with the same tests and had David had passed the test (vs. 4-5).
Evil men had destroyed the foundation, but the Lord still had His fire and brimstone of judgment to use (v. 6). God’s certain judgment lay in their future. David had no need to be concerned.
Read this psalm again. Let your heart be like David’s. When the lives of many seemed hopeless, because of crumbling foundations, David knew that nothing had really changed. His future never depended on external foundations, but in the One who sat on His holy throne. When the innocent are murdered by ungodly men and lawless looters roam our streets, meditate on how David responded when the foundations of his life were destroyed
Read David’s final words. “For the Lord is righteous, he loves righteousness; his countenance beholds the upright” (v. 7). He alone is our foundation and that is all that matters. He is our only foundation. Anchor your faith in Him.