28 Dec Meditations on the Psalms #24
Day 24
Psalm 11: Read here – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2011&version=NASB
—Flee, Fear or Faith:
This Psalm records well-intentioned, but faithless advice of David’s friends (c.f.Job)when he was a fugitive from King Saul. David lifted his eyes to the LORD to find faith in a time of testing. He knew the safest place to stand was in radical trust in God.
Before becoming king, David lived the life of a fugitive for about 10 years. He was constantly hunted by King Saul and lived in constant danger. (See 1Sam 18-19) In such a time, his friends advised him, “Flee as a bird to your mountain.”
How can you say…Flee as a bird to your mountain?” This expressed the near outrage in David’s response to his friends. No matter how well intentioned his friends are, they are giving him the advice of fear. The advice of fear couldn’t stand with the position of trust David had in the LORD. He would rather dare the danger than exhibit a distrust in the Lord his God.
We must always be careful with the advice we give to others. First, we must always mind our own business and not be busybodies (1 Thessalonians 4:11, 1 Timothy 5:13). Second, we can be too confident in our own perception of a situation. Our motive can be good and right, but the advice can be wrong.
The answer of faith comes from remembering where God is (V4), What God sees (v4b-5), The destiny of the wicked (v6) and the love and favour of God(v7)
When the advice of fear comes upon us, we can only arrive at the answer of faith by spending time with the LORD. When we think about our problems, the advice of fear often overwhelms us. When we pray about our problems, the answer of faith assures our hearts that God is in control.
The image of the cup as a container of judgment reminds us of Jesus’ prayer in the garden: O My Father… let this cup pass from Me; … (Matthew 26:39). The cup Jesus dreaded was the cup that contained the wrath of God against sin; wrath that we deserved, but Jesus drank for us.
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