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\u201cWhen the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do? (Psalm 11:3).

Have you ever felt as if life's foundations were disintegrating underneath you? It's when the things we had counted on to remain crumble. We discover how little control we have over our own lives. Sometimes we are haunted by the tragedies of people who live around us. We do not know how to help them and even fear we might be the next victims of fate.

There are so many possible examples: job loses, illness, death, family squabbles. These are close to home. Sometimes events farther away such as wars and natural disasters can have equally negative effects on our lives.

In Psalm 11, David is reflecting on his experience of such events. He is afraid. Someone is telling him to flee "like a bird to the mountains" (1).

He is being tempted to go into hiding; to flee the trouble that surrounds him. Many of us can sympathize with this temptation. It's much easier than facing the trouble. We close our vehicle windows to avoid panhandlers. We cancel news feeds. We keep ourselves so busy with career and family we have no time for volunteering to provide food for the hungry or assistance to the refugee.

David recognizes that such flight would show that he does not trust God. His refuge is not in the mountains, not in hiding, his refuge is in the Lord. He can face the troubles of his life and of those around him because the Lord provides.

Enemies are all around him and not necessarily out in the open. He writes of those in the shadows ready to shoot their arrows at him (2). Despite these threats, David chooses not to flee. Why? He says, "In the Lord I take refuge...the Lord is in his holy temple...he observes the sons of men" (1, 4). His life is not dictated by blind fate. God reigns.

David does not flee. Neither does he attack his enemies. He puts his trust in God.

He knows three things about God that give him the courage to stand. First, he knows that God is on His throne. God is in control. David knows that everything around him may be crumbling, but the foundations of life are solid because God reigns. As Christians we declare, "Jesus is Lord." And because he is risen from the dead, we know that our good works done in his name are not in vain (1 Corinthians 15:58).

Secondly, David knows that God is observing what is happening on earth. God knows that David is in trouble. He knows that the wicked act violently and the innocent and righteous get hurt. God is not blind to these things.

Thirdly, David knows that God is just. In the end, the wicked must give an accounting of their wickedness and the righteous will be vindicated. As Jesus said, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will be filled (cf. Matthew 5:6).

Knowing who his God is, David can stand and wait. He trusts that God will do what is right. So, he does not flee; nor does he ignore the trouble. He waits on God. Waiting on God is not passive. Rather, as Paul says, it means blessing the troublemakers, overcoming evil with good (cf. Romans 12:21).

As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May your day end with rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May you rest in his provision as he brings night, and then new dawn.