Every once in a while we hear on the news of a building collapsing, or is in danger of doing so. There could be various reasons for this, and sometimes it is because the foundation wasn’t laid properly or was not strong enough to support the size of the building. Having a good, strong, and firm foundation is important for the safety of a building, as any architect or construction manager will tell you. Without attention to the foundation, a structure is at great risk. This is true both in the physical realm with buildings, in a society with morals and values, and also the spiritual realm. David, who wrote our psalm for this week, knew this.
Sometimes when life gets difficult, many people wish they could just run away and escape. They would like to flee and leave all of their problems behind. They may even wish they could grow a pair of wings like a bird, and fly off into the woods or the mountains. There nobody could find them or bother them with problems. Sometimes that sounds good! As king, David faced a lot of problems, some quite overwhelming. At the time of the writing of Psalm 11, he was facing some unspecified problems, and some of his counsellors were suggesting to him that because of how overwhelmed he was, he might just want to run off and leave it all behind (vs. 1).
Did David take the advice of his friends? No. Instead he reminded them that his trust and faith was in the Lord God. They were panicking, but he was not. David was at peace with God. Faith in God keeps us from losing hope, and helps us resist fear. David’s advisors were afraid because they saw only frightening circumstances and crumbling foundations. David was comforted and optimistic because he knew God was greater than anything his enemies could bring against him. David told his well-meaning, but wrong-advising friends that his soul was not on the run, that his spirit had not capsized, because he always took refuge in the Lord.
It is here, though, that God’s Word, through the pen of David, warns us about keeping a sure foundation in our life, both morally and spiritually (vs. 3). Just as every building needs a good foundation or else it falls, so does our life. Destroy the building’s foundation and it will topple. This is equally so in our life. Those who have put their faith and trust in the Lord Jesus and His Word are standing upon a firm foundation. As long as our faith and trust remain steady and sure upon Jesus, our foundation will be secure, and so will we.
In today’s world we see the very foundations of society being destroyed. The Bible, God’s Word, is tossed out, along with everything it stands for. Those who believe and follow Jesus are mocked, and in many places even persecuted. Even basic morality is so often lost and missing in our society. Society’s foundations are being destroyed. Even in many churches we see God’s Word being put aside for what a godless society feels and says is correct. As David asked, what can a righteous person do?
We do not need to fear. God is still on His throne (vs. 4). He will hold the wicked accountable. He is not aloof, but is carefully examining everyone on earth. We can have faith in our all-holy God. Even during the times when it seems as if the Lord is doing nothing, He sees all, both the good and the bad. When we feel like running, run to God!
As believers, we need to make sure that our foundation is built solely upon the Lord Jesus Christ, and Him alone. Jesus gave us a parable about the wise man who built his house upon the rock, while the foolish man built his upon sand (Matthew 7:24-27). Our foundation needs to be upon the Rock, the Lord Jesus Christ, not built upon the shifting, unstable, and ultimately failing sand of the wicked world system and society of today. Jesus and His Word will stand firm forever. Those who follow the ways of society today will come crashing down.
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