Psalm 11

May 11, 2012

In the ebb and flow of life we are always in one of three places: We are about to enter into a crisis; or we are in the midst of a crisis; or we are coming out of a crisis. When we encounter a crisis our sense of order is upended. Sometimes the main consequence of the crisis is simply inconvenience, such as, when our car breaks down. Other times, there are life altering consequences like so many people experienced after 9-11. Henry Blackby, in his book, Experiencing God, notes that these problem situations are always accompanied by a crisis of belief because, for the Christian, what you do next reveals what you truly believe about God.

In this psalm David feels as though the very fabric, the foundation of his society had been torn asunder. Sometimes that is a good thing, as in the Reformation when the people turned from the church to the Bible for guidance. But, with the so called Age of Enlightenment, society turned from the Bible to reason. It’s pretty much been all downhill since then. David was in a crisis as he lived through a time when he was never sure who his friend was and who was a spy for those seeking to destroy him. I experienced a small taste of this when I was visiting churches in Cuba as the government routinely sent spies into the congregations.

In this psalm David responds to the apparent crumbling foundations of society by remembering that God’s throne is eternal in the heavens and will never crumble or decay. David trusted that God would come and judge the world and the righteous would be vindicated. David believed such trust called forth a commitment to live for God; “For the righteous Lord loves justice. The virtuous will see his face.”

We are living in a time of great moral decay. Washington Post columnist George Will wrote on May 4, 2012 that an article recently published in the British Journal of Medical Ethics asserts, “that “after-birth abortions” — killing newborn babies — are matters of moral indifference because newborns, like fetuses, “do not have the same moral status as actual persons” and “the fact that both are potential persons is morally irrelevant.”

If we take inspiration from David’s psalm, a commitment to live out John Wesley’s mission statement for the Methodist movement is an appropriate response: “We have no other business than to save souls and spread scriptural holiness across the land.”

What word or phrase in these verses

Attracts your attention?

Reflect on that word or phrase.

What insights come to you?

How does this passage touch your life today?

Reading for May 12, 2012            Psalm 12