Dear Friends:
In the Lord I take refuge; how can you say to me,
"Flee like a bird to the mountains;
for look, the wicked bend the bow,
they have fitted their arrow to the string,
to shoot in the dark at the upright in heart.
If the foundations are destroyed,
what can the righteous do?"
-- Psalm 11:1-3
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The third verse of this passage is often quoted in the culture wars. "If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?" is solemnly intoned about threatened changes in politics, morality, worship, doctrine, family values etc.
The point is that the collapse of the moral order threatens the stability of the physical order. This is a legitimate concern, but political attempts to resolve it throughout history have inevitably mucked things up. Policy rooted in fear is never kind to freedom even if Scripture is expropriated as a justification.
The problem here is that Scripture must always be read in context and this passage actually is the prescription of an antidote against toxic and debilitating fears of what may be out there in the dark that we don't know and can't see that might do us harm and erode away our faith. It's David's enemies, not David who are asking, "What are you going to do if the foundations of your order and faith are destroyed?"
In response to them, David leads with the most important point -- "In the Lord I take refuge." That's it. No more, no less, just the "everything" that the Apostle Paul described as "Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption" (1 Cor 1:30).
There is a satisfying astonishment in David's response to the purveyors of fear and terror who urge him to the cowardice of flight. "In the Lord, I take refuge. How can you say to me . . . "run away from the risk and the danger and the hopelessness of virtue in the face of the destruction of the good and the stable?"
If you reflect on this passage, you can hear David saying, "Don't you get it? I cannot be cringing and running from fear of snipers and things that go bump in the night. I don't have to be buying moral sandbags to keep the floods of violence and chaos from sweeping away the house. Why should I beat myself up with the question, 'What more can I do?""
Here is what David says instead --
The Lord is in his holy temple;
the Lord’s throne is in heaven.
His eyes behold, his gaze examines humankind.
The Lord tests the righteous and the wicked,
and his soul hates the lover of violence.
On the wicked he will rain coals of fire and sulphur;
a scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup.
For the Lord is righteous;
he loves righteous deeds;
the upright shall behold his face.
-- Ps 11:4-7
In other words, "God's is still in control. He sees everyone for who they are. I will stand up, all right -- but to look at God, not to run away from the shadows and ghosts of my enemies."
It takes a firm decision to live with this kind of faith -- "In the Lord I take refuge and wait for the fulfillment of his purpose. In the meantime, I will hope, wait, and do the right things living in a manner befitting the truth that I belong to him."
Yes, there is a lot of wrong out there around us, but we do not have to succumb to it. We have a righteous Lord who loves that we trust him enough to do the right and avoid the wrong, knowing all the while that we are going to end up living with him in the end.
Is this just lovely devotional material? Who lives this way in a post-modern world where everything is shifting and "truth" is relative and undependable?
As we grow in our knowledge and assurance of the love of our Lord and Savior and as find our refuge with him, our instincts to flee danger or give up to incessant evil are transformed into the courage to stand for the right where we are. Courage is after all an attitude of mind and heart that prevails over the circumstances that assail us.
My telling you this and you believing me won't make this so for you. Each of one of us has to choose to live faithfully and courageously and do so without apology.
David, in what appeared to be one of the lowest points of his life and leadership when the people wanted to stone him, "encouraged himself in the Lord his God" (1 Sam 30:6). That means, David thought about God, not about the troubles around him. That's exactly what he was writing about in Psalm 11. Jesus prayed in the same vein in Gethsemane: "Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me; yet, not my will but yours be done" (Luke 22:42).
Taking refuge in the Lord . . . encouraging yourself in the Lord . . . means prayer -- conversing with God in the reverent rhythm of listening and talking that is the bond of true love. A lover doesn't just talk, but acts on the impulses of affection. Faith among other things means that we act in love, when everything around us seems to conspire to destroy the good, the true and the beautiful.
The Holy Spirit convicted me early Tuesday morning of this week to send a message of encouragement to a friend and colleague who is being undermined and criticized unfairly for doing the right thing. Here is my note --
Good morning,
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There are times in our experience when despite our best efforts, surrendered hearts, and faith, some person(s) simply, in the words of Paul in 2 Cor 12:7-10), is/are "a thorn in our side." God gives us more grace for those moments.
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Many years ago, I was defending the school in a highly publicized lawsuit in which the press and many of our own people deliberately misconstrued the principles and position of the institution and my own role in its defense.
One morning, I went to court in San Bernardino to argue in an important hearing in the case. The day before, the local newspaper ran a vicious and sarcastic editorial cartoon about the school and its position. The judge took the matter under advisement so I left the courtroom without a resolution.
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I was quite agitated in my soul. On the way back, I was playing a cassette tape (that tells you how long ago this was, 1990) of jazz instrumental versions of well-known hymns. Just as I drove up the bluff from Colton to Grand Terrace on the 215 headed back to Corona, the song "This is My Father's World" was playing. The words came to mind especially the last verse which goes:
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This is my Father's world. O let me ne'er forget that though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the ruler yet.
This is my Father's world: why should my heart be sad? The Lord is King; let the heavens ring! God reigns; let the earth be glad!
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I was comforted by this reminder that "though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the ruler yet." He has a plan and a purpose even for our immediate aggravations.
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The judge later ruled in the school's favor. We won at the trial court, Court of Appeal and the California Supreme Court. This knowledge has given me great encouragement over the years in some tough, tough battles.
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You know why I am telling you this story this morning. The thorn comes from Satan. Grace and truth come through Jesus Christ (John 1:17). You have given your life to the service of Jesus Christ. He remembers you and will strengthen you and give you the wisdom necessary for your stewardship of His will and gifts at the institution. He is the boss and He has your back. Never doubt this.
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The thorn is temporary. The steadfast love of the Lord is new every morning. Great is His faithfulness.
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Your brother,
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Kent
"O taste and see that the Lord is good. Happy are those who take refuge in him" (Ps 34:8).
Under the mercy of Christ,
Kent
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Please note that the content and viewpoints of Mr. Hansen are his own and are not necessarily those of the C.S. Lewis Foundation. We have not edited his writing in any substantial way and have permission from him to post his content.
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Kent Hansen is a Christian attorney, author and speaker. He practices corporate law and is the managing attorney of the firm of Clayson, Mann, Yaeger & Hansen in Corona, California. Kent also serves as the general counsel of Loma Linda University and Medical Center in Loma Linda, California.
Finding God's grace revealed in the ordinary experiences of life, spiritual renewal in Christ and prayer are Kent's passions. He has written two books, Grace at 30,000 Feet and Other Unexpected Places published by Review & Herald in 2002 and Cleansing Fire, Healing Streams: Experiencing God's Love Through Prayer, published by Pacific Press in spring 2007. Many of his stories and essays about God's encompassing love have been published in magazines and journals. Kent is often found on the hiking trails of the southern California mountains, following major league baseball, playing the piano or writing his weekly email devotional, "A Word of Grace for Your Monday" that is read by men and women from Alaska to Zimbabwe.