Day 20: Psalms 11: 1-7
Psalm 11:1 In the Lord I put my trust. How can you say to my soul flee as a bird to your mountain?
Lord, I was made to know You. I put my trust in You. You are my refuge – there is no other place where I can take refuge. You must be my help and my delight. Lord, sometimes I do not trust You enough. My faith indeed is small, but You have granted me a portion of faith.
Lord, forgive me when I live in fear of men, in fear of circumstances, in fear of anyone or anything except a godly fear of You. Hebrews 13:6 reminds us, “The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”
Lord, I must admit that there are times I want to run away. I want to flee to some mountain – someplace – but You are the place of refuge. Wherever You call me to be, there is the best place for me, my family, and my friends.
Psalm 11:2 For look! The wicked bend their bow, they make ready their arrow on the string that they may shoot secretly at the upright heart.
Lord, there are reasons for my fears, as You well know. Your Son faced enemies on this earth – gossips, slanderers, evil plotters trying to entrap Him (Mark 14:1). Lord, they set their plans to overcome Your people, but do not let their plans succeed. Let their plans fail. In Christ’s victory Your people find victory.
They shoot at the upright in heart. Lord Jesus, You are the only One who is truly upright in heart. Yet Lord, You have imparted Your righteousness to Your people. You declare us to be Your saints, Your holy ones. You make us upright in heart.
You have clearly said in Your Word, “All who seek to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution” (II Timothy 3:12. The Apostle Paul ministered to the churches, “strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, ‘We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God’” (Acts 14:22).
Psalm 11:3 If the foundations are destroyed what can the righteous do?
Lord, if they remove all my supports, if they remove my refuge, what can I do? Lord, in our nation, the wicked are trying and in some ways succeeding in eroding the moral and biblical foundations of our nation. Lord, forgive us for not more faithfully living our own lives on this foundation. Help us live for You and help others do the same. Restore the foundations. Help us to fight for righteousness in our own lives, in our families, in our churches and communities and in our nation!
Psalm 11:4 The Lord is in His holy temple. The Lord’s throne is in heaven. His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of man.
Lord, You reign over all creation. You are sovereign Lord over all the universe. You are in heaven above us all. Cause us to live godly lives before You. Give us Your strength to do Your will.
You test us, Lord, and in many ways we fail the test. It is only in Christ that we prevail. You see us and You see our hearts. Help us grow in Your grace (II Peter 3:17–18).
Psalm 11:5 The Lord tests the righteous but the wicked and the one who loves violence His soul hates.
Lord, You do put us in situations that test our faith (Deuteronomy 8:2–3). You do not tempt us to do evil, but You test us to see if we will trust You and do good (James 1:13). Lord, how often I have failed these tests, but by Your grace, I have grown and passed some tests. As You delivered Peter after he failed, so You have helped me and my family, Your churches, and Your kingdom. As Christ overcame sin and death, so in Him
Yet, O Lord, those who desire evil more than good, those who stretch out their hand to do violence – to wickedly conspire and hurt Your anointed — Your soul, Your inner nature, hates.
Lord, there are those believe that they are doing good by their plans against Your servants and their ministry. They gather together against Your children to destroy them. They think they are doing good, but their methods and their heart are evil.
Help us to pray with Jesus and Stephen, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34) or “Lord, do not charge them with this sin” (Acts 7:60). Enable us to say with Joseph in Genesis 50:20 “But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.” Grant us the grace to say with David as when Shimei cast dust on him in 2 Samuel 16:12 “It may be that the LORD will look on my affliction, and that the LORD will repay me with good for his cursing this day.”
Lord, there are times when we have been mistreated, when we do not feel we deserve the evil that others have done. We have sought to humble ourselves and wait on You. And You have shown me, my family, and Your church Your mercy.
O Lord, guide us through these tests. Let us not be bitter or foolish (Ephesians 5:17). Help us trust You; help our families and our churches trust You. Help us repent where we have sinned and failed and help us move forward in righteousness.
Psalm 11:6 Upon the wicked He will rain coals, fire and brimstone and a burning wind shall be the portion of their cap.
Lord, one day the evil ones will be cast into hell, Your wrath will fall upon them. At times, we wish their judgment would come today. Yet, O Lord, how can we desire any to be judged? Lord, hell is for eternity. Part of us wants Your wrath to fall on those who are our oppressors, to those who speak against us. Yet, O Lord, if You marked my sin, I could not stand (Psalm 130:3–4). How do I pray, O Lord? Their sin against us hurts so much. Yet our sins, too, sent You to the cross. Lord, our only hope is You. Our only help is in You.
Psalm 11:7 For the Lord is righteous. He loves righteousness. His countenance upholds the upright.
Lord, You alone are righteous and You call us to righteousness. To see Your face, to know You, this is my strength and delight.
Growing in Prayer 