December 02, 2003

Praying the Psalms - Day 2

Psalm 11, a Psalm of David, is an expression of God's sovereignty and protection for the righteous, along with condemnation of the wicked.

David starts off with an expression of trust in God, and asks a rhetorical question of the wicked,

"How can you say to my soul, flee as a bird to your mountain?"

He trusts in God to protect him, but he also wonders,
"If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?"

What are the foundations? In Psalm 19 (tomorrow) God's Law (perfect), His testimony (sure), His statutes (right), His commandments (pure), the fear of God (enduring forever), and His judgments (true and righteous altogether) are singled out for special mention.

In the New Testament, several verses are foundations: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." John 3:16 NKJV, is often the first verse memorized by Christians. I'd say that qualifies as a foundation. For ongoing discipleship another verse jumps out at me:

"But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him."
Hebrews 11:6

Back to Psalm 11, David goes on to say that the LORD's throne is in heaven, that He is sitting in His holy temple, and His eyes test the sons of men. He tests the righteous (proving their righteousness, and developing maturity), but hates the wicked and those who love violence. The wicked are promised fire and brimstone as the portion of their cup, but the LORD's countenance will behold the upright.

Posted by joelfuhrmann at December 2, 2003 09:22 PM
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