Secure in the Storm | Psalm 11 | Dwell in the Word
Watch This Episode on Psalm 11
Psalm 11 opens not with despair but with confidence: “In the Lord I take refuge.” In this Dwell in the Word episode, Pastor Mark Groen walks through this short yet profound psalm to help us see what it means to trust God when the world feels like it’s falling apart. Whether we’re tempted to run or freeze in fear, this devotional reminds us that God is still enthroned—and He sees.
Includes a prayer from the 1595 Scottish Psalter, Scripture reading, devotional commentary, and a closing prayer of reflection.
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Welcome to Dwell in the Word from First Reformed Church in Edgerton, Minnesota. Bible readings and devotional commentary to help you grow in faith by dwelling in God's holy word.
This is Dwell in the Word episode 319. Today we're taking a look at Psalm 11. As we begin, we're doing another prayer from Prayers on the Psalms from the Scottish Psalter of 1595. Let's pray. O Lord, who is the strength and stay of us your poor flock, although the wicked world goes about to snare us, and seeing that there is no way for us to escape, but only by your grace, grant that we may continue in your fear and truth, and that we may be not involved in that vengeance and punishment which you will pour forth upon the wicked, when you shall send that great Judge, Christ Jesus your Son, to judge the whole world.
Amen. All right, as I mentioned, we are in Psalm 11 today. Hear the word of the Lord. In the Lord I take refuge. How can you say to my soul, flee like a bird to the mountain? For behold, 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? The Lord is in his holy temple. The Lord's throne is in heaven. His eyes see. His eyelids test the children of man. The Lord tests the righteous, but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence.
Let him rain coals on the wicked. Fire and sulfur and 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. We come to the eleventh chapter of the Psalter, and we have another psalm that is attributed to David. And here we see some strong imagery about how David understands his relationship to Yahweh. As we have seen many times so far in the first ten chapters, and will continue to see as we move through the psalms, the occasion for the writing of this psalm is a time of turmoil, and a time where the psalmist is under an attack of some kind.
and we start out here without any indication that anything is wrong. It's kind of like the game show Jeopardy here. The psalm starts out with the answer and we see that David is taking refuge in the Lord and then he spells out what is going on. It seems as though he has some advisors who think that he should run away from conflict. Basically here we see in verse 1 and 2 that David is saying, the Lord is my refuge. So why, advisors of mine, would you suggest I take off like a bird to the mountain?
David trusts in the Lord to be his safety, but some people think he should head for the hills. Now we read that this advice is coming his way because the wicked are bending their bow at him. Now it's likely that this is more than just figurative language here. Being king, he would have felt the pressures of having enemies who would be looking to overthrow him, and it explains why the advisors are telling him to get out of town. Those who are coming after him are playing for keeps. David isn't just upset here because people are saying bad things about him or something like that.
This is a threat. This is an attack on him as the king of Israel. As we move down to verse 3 then, we see an important question that is being asked by David. If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do? In other words, if we just Give up and let the enemies of God take over the city and the temple. What would be left for the people of God? How would they go about their religious obligations? What would their lives be like if they didn't have the kingdom, if they didn't have the temple?
And in response to this question he is asked, David says that the Lord is in his holy temple and his throne is in heaven and that he sees what is going on. Even though God is in heaven, the psalmist wants us to know that God is not distant from his creation. He has an eye on them and in fact, we see that he tests the righteous and he hates the wicked and those who are wicked and love violence. How will the people of God respond to this test? Will they love the law of God? Will they trust Him to keep them safe?
Will they seek Him or will they be like the ones who are wicked and love violence? And as the passage closes up here we see a prayer asking for divine judgment. Now it's a harsh prayer, asking for God to rain coals on the wicked, and we see a recollection of the judgment of Sodom and Gomorrah, right? With this request for fire and sulfur to overcome them. And we also see some other familiar imagery from scripture, with David talking about the portion of their cup. In scripture, blessings and curses are often referred to as a cup that are poured out.
And here, David believes that God will punish the wicked. He'll pour out that cup. And as the chapter closes up, we read that the Lord is righteous and he loves righteous deeds, and the upright shall behold his face. Just as David believes punishment is coming for the wicked, he also trusts that reward comes to the righteous. So as we consider this psalm for us today, we do so in light of what Jesus has done for us. He has taken on the wrath of God for us and we are declared righteous because he has given us the gift of salvation and faith.
He drank the cup of wrath for his people all the way down to the dregs. And so we know that our sins have been covered. Therefore, the call on our lives, not only today but each and every day, is to take refuge in this One who is our salvation. Regardless of what you and I face, we know that we are secure in the fortress of the Lord Jesus Christ. May we seek Him and seek righteousness, knowing that we shall one day behold His face. Let's close up with a word of prayer. Gracious God, you alone are our refuge and strength.
It is in you that we find steadfast hope. When foundations crumble around us and we are surrounded by chaos, we trust that you sit enthroned on high and you are sovereign over all things. Grant us courage to trust in your righteous ways, to seek your face and rest in your loving care. Guard us from the snares of the wicked, for we trust that you see all and judge with fairness. O Lord, uphold the righteous with your mighty hand. and because of the righteousness of Christ given to us as a gift, may we trust that we shall behold your face.
We pray this all in the name of Jesus. Amen. Alright, that's Psalm 11. We'll see you next time with Psalm 12. Thank you for joining us for Dwell in the Word. To learn more about First Reformed Church, head on over to our Facebook page or website, edgertonfrc.org.
🛡️ Looking for More on Psalm 11?
Psalm 11 is a powerful reminder that God is our refuge when the foundations of life seem to crumble. If this devotional helped you reflect on that truth, keep going deeper:
🎙️ Watch the full sermon: Rising Above the Storm – Pastor Mark preaches through Psalm 11 with rich application for standing firm in today’s world.
☀️ Start your day with Foundations that Hold – Psalm 11 – A short Morning Psalms & Prayers episode to help you begin the day grounded in God's Word.
Each of these resources invites you to dwell deeply in Scripture and rest in the righteousness of the One who reigns from heaven.
