Written by: Ray Khan - Church Army
Psalm 11 v 1-3
I trust in the LORD for protection.
So why do you say to me,
“Fly like a bird to your mountain.
Like hunters, the wicked string their bows; they set their arrows on the bowstrings.
They shoot from dark places at those who are honest.
When all that is good falls apart, what can good people do?”
Notes
When you are not facing opposition it is easy to have faith. The psalmist here
is convinced of God’s protection, but then he faces opposition on this very
issue of trust.
First there is the mocking - it would make more sense to run away than to trust in God, so fly like a bird. (Are they calling him a chicken?)
But there is a more serious challenge: Those who follow God are often targets for the wicked. They cannot wait for you to fail; they can scheme and plot your downfall. So what does it now mean to have God as a protector?
And then when we look at the world, what we see is good falling down and evil winning. The rich get more from the poor, the thief gets away with crime, the bully is immune, large multinational companies suck out the vitality of nations. In the face of this breakdown, what good can we do? (The psalmist’s answer to this question is for tomorrow.)
The starting place is honesty and prayer. The psalmist is able to express just how they feel: “I trust you, God, but look at all this opposition; look at the breakdown of society.”
The psalmist’s starting place is not to get all “super-spiritual” but to be real and honest with God.
So how about you? Where are the pressure points for you? What is the truth about God and those pressures that you need to offer to God in prayer?
Prayer
Dear Lord,
Help me to be real with you. With how I feel and what I see around me.
At this moment I am really struggling with ………………
These are things that I just do not understand ………………
These are what people are saying about you and me ………………
Help me today to still trust in you and to be true to you.
Amen
Psalm 11 v 4-7
The LORD is in his holy temple; the LORD sits on his throne in heaven.
He sees what people do; he keeps his eye on them.
The LORD tests those who do right, but he hates the wicked and those who love
to hurt others.
He will send hot coals and burning sulphur on the wicked.
A whirlwind is what they will get.
The LORD does what is right, and he loves justice, so honest people will see his face.
Notes
Two boys are pushing and shouting at each other. What are you seeing?
Is it a fight? Is it bullying? Or are they just playing? What you are seeing depends on your perspective. If the boys are close friends then it could be play. If you know one of them has a history of bullying you might come to a different understanding.
The psalmist who is experiencing opposition for his faith has a particular perspective that helps him to hold on. The psalmist can see the bigger picture: God is the one in charge.
The wicked might think that no one is watching or cares, but God sees and he does care. The psalmist knows that one day they will get justice for what they are doing.
But if God is in charge, then why doesn’t he stop the evil? This is a good question. We cannot look at it in depth in a short email, but it has to do with free will and grace – ask your minister or a Christian leader that you know. The psalmist’s answer to this question, to the feelings that this question brings up, is simple:
God is testing your faith because he loves you and wants you to grow. The others who seem to have an easy life only do so because God is not stretching them. It is as if God is not bothered with them, but God is concerned with you. This sounds very much like tough love – but would you rather be overlooked by God and have it easy or ……….?
Prayer
God,
I want to thank you and praise you that you are the one who is in control and
that you see all things.
From my end it seems that you have left the building, but I know you are there.
Thank you for allowing me to struggle and to grow. Help me to see the bigger
picture and to know your love.
Amen
Psalm 12 v 1-4
Save me, LORD, because the good people are all gone; no true believers
are left on earth.
Everyone lies to his neighbours; they say one thing and mean another.
The LORD will stop those flattering lips and cut off those boasting
tongues.
They say, “Our tongues will help us win.
We can say what we wish; no one is our master.”
Notes
You look at the news, you see how people treat each other and it is so
easy to lose hope, to get angry and despair. I think it is important to be real
with what is going on in your heart and mind, but sometimes that can lead to
a form of depression. The trick is to be real, but not to give up hope.
In my community, there are shootings, drugs, and young people and children who walk around with attitude and no boundaries. The psalmist seems to be describing the inner city community where I live and sometimes I find myself thinking similar thoughts. But I still have hope.
The first source of my hope is God. I know that all people are valued and the cross measures that value.
The next thing I do is look for signs of hope: a young person helping someone out; a school that is doing well; a nice front garden; a small community group trying to make a difference; a drug addict trying to get clean. These small signs remind me that it isn’t all bad; there is hope and goodness.
So next time you feel depressed at the world, be real with God but also start looking out for signs of hope.
Reflection
Today count all the signs of hope that you see. Be prepared for a surprise.
Psalm 12 v 5-8
But the LORD says,
“I will now rise up, because the poor are being hurt.
Because of the moans of the helpless,
I will give them the help they want.”
The LORD’s words are pure, like silver purified by fire, like silver purified
seven times over.
LORD, you will keep us safe; you will always protect us from such
people.
But the wicked are all around us; everyone loves what is wrong.
Notes
When you are faced with images of war, starving people or refugees, what do
you do? Do you sigh and say, “What can I do?”
How about the needs in your community? The person begging; the mother who struggles; a bullied person; someone who has no friends; the person who finds it hard in school. What do you do? What have you done?
The psalmist is well aware that the world does have wicked people in it. Where there are wicked people, there are victims. The psalmist is inspired to rise up and do something for people, to make a difference. It might not be much, but it is something.
Someone once said that if you are not part of the solution, then you are part of the problem. Like the psalmist we need to hear the voice of the helpless and the voice of God and rise and DO SOMETHING TO HELP.
You may not be able to sort out the root problem, but you can help the victim and the needy.
Reflection
Today you will have an opportunity to make a difference in someone’s life –
it could be a kind word or a sandwich.
Who will that person be? And what will you do?
Prayer
Lord, thank you that you protect me. Help me to help someone today. Amen
Psalm 13 v 1-6
How long will you forget me, LORD? For ever?
How long will you hide from me?
How long must I worry and feel sad in my heart all day?
How long will my enemy win over me?
LORD, look at me.
Answer me, my God; tell me, or I will die.
Otherwise my enemy will say, “I have won!”
Those against me will rejoice that I’ve been defeated.
I trust in your love.
My heart is happy because you saved me.
I sing to the LORD because he has taken care of me.
Notes
What does a victorious Christian look like? What do they do when things are
bad?
The psalmist here gives us a glimpse and it is not a pretty picture. God has abandoned him, he feels that God has forgotten him and his heart is full of worry and despair. He does not feel victorious but defeated.
Even Jesus felt like this. On the cross he shouted out to his Father: “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” If Jesus felt like this, then it means that it is OK for you to feel that way too!
Feeling this way does not stop you from trusting in God. It is our trust that sustains us. Jesus felt abandoned, but he still trusted. If he hadn’t trusted he would have walked away from the cross. Serving God and doing God’s will does not mean that you will feel God’s presence close to you.
The psalmist worked at drawing close to God. How? By singing songs of trust and faith, songs that reminded him of God’s past faithfulness.
Reflection
Today choose a song that reminds you of God’s faithfulness. Sing it now (either
aloud or quietly). Sing that song in your mind today – hum it as you walk.
Psalm 14 v 1-3
Fools say to themselves,
“There is no God.”
Fools are evil and do terrible things; there is no one who does anything good.
The LORD looked down from heaven on all people to see if anyone
understood, if anyone was looking to God for help.
But all have turned away.
Together, everyone has become evil.
There is no one who does anything good, not even one.
Notes
The fools that the psalmist is referring to are not atheists but people who
believe that God makes no difference.
These fools may acknowledge that God exists and may even do “religious” things, but they believe God does not bless and does not judge.
These fools will live lives that are empty of any value and will do whatever they want. Being empty, they lose sense of their own humanity and the humanity of others. It is no wonder that such fools do evil and terrible things.
The fools’ problem is not their heads but in their hearts. They may grasp in their minds deep theological thoughts, but these thoughts make no difference to their lives. There is a credibility gap between what they think and what they do.
It is interesting that God looks down and seeks not knowledge, but understanding or wisdom. In the Old Testament, wisdom is when knowledge, experience, understanding and life are all in harmony. A wise person is a person who has no gaps in them.
So, mind that gap!
Reflection
How does your life compare with the lives of those who do not acknowledge God?
Is there a credibility gap in your life? What do you need to do today to start
to bridge that gap?
Psalm 14 v 4-7
Don’t the wicked understand?
They destroy my people as if they were eating bread.
They do not ask the LORD for help.
But the wicked are filled with terror, because God is with those who do what
is right.
The wicked upset the plans of the poor, but the LORD will protect them.
I pray that victory will come to Israel from Mount Zion!
May the LORD bring them back.
Then the people of Jacob will rejoice, and the people of Israel will be glad.
Notes
Yesterday we explored the idea of foolish people being empty, of having a credibility
gap between what they know about God and how they live their lives. Empty people
need to fill their lives with something – it could be sex, power, possessions,
reputation, drugs or image. However, wickedness comes when they try to fill
their lives at the expense of the suffering of others. This is what the psalmist
is exploring.
Wicked people have no sense of what is right or wrong. They have no sense of accountability. They have no understanding. But they go further and destroy the innocent. Think of the great acts of evil in the 20th century – the death camps of Nazi Germany, the genocides and ethnic cleansings. All of these were about destroying. In the light of such evil it was easy for these people to think that their victims were nothing and were worth nothing. This is what evil does: it seeks to destroy the humanity of others.
But we know of another helpless victim of suffering: Jesus. God defeated the power of evil not by a mighty act but by the willingness of his son to become a victim. We worship a God who understands what it means to be a victim.
But there is more: God will one day hold to account all the wickedness that people have done. The wicked will encounter Jesus the victorious victim and be judged.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, your wounds heal us and through your suffering you defeated the
powers of darkness. Help those who suffer today and help me to live the life
of sacrifice and trust in you. Amen
word-on-the-web uses the Scripture text taken
from the Youth Bible, New Century Version (Anglicised Edition) copyright 1993
by Word Publishing Milton Keynes