Pastor’s Corner

Trivia:

I guess this trivia was too easy. The question was which river feeds Niagara Falls? The correct answer is Niagara River, so for tricking you on this one.

How many people do you think visit the Falls annually? Now this number is just those who visit from the U.S. Is it 20million; 2.2milliion; 9.5million; 500,000thousand?

Challenge:

Psalm 11:1-7 "I trust in the Lord for protection. So why do you say to me, Fly like a bird to the mountains for safety! The wicked are stringing their bows and fitting their arrows on the bow strings. They shoot from the shadows at those whose hearts are right. The foundations of law and order have collapsed. What can the righteous do? But the Lord is in His holy Temple; the Lord still rules from heaven. He watches everyone closely, examining every person on earth. The Lord examines both righteous and the wicked. He hates those who love violence. He will rain blazing coals and burning sulfur on the wicked. punishing them with scorching winds. For the righteous Lord loves justice. The virtous will see His face."

This Psalm could easily be listed with the Psalms of confidence found in Psalm 4; 16; 23; 27; 62; 125; 131. Throughout this chapter you notice we hear two differing "voices", singular and plural along with personal application and national crisis, while we can see that David dly made up his mind to trust in the Lord, regardless of the attacks.

You may be asking when were these two voices speaking? Well they were the voice that was urging to take flight (Psa. 11:1-3 while the other voice is urging faith (11:4-7)

We can easily see just why this conflict was being spoken of here, for this confused saint, looks at these conflicts through the eyes of a mere human being. Seeing a crumbling society, while on the other hand the righteous person recognizes the firm promises God had made to His covenant people Israel.

The Lord reminds us through the prophet Habakkuk 2:20 "But the Lord is in His Temple. Let all the earth be silent before him."

We may be wondering just what is the background of the Psalm? I believe that this delima is best understood in the light of 1 Samuel 21 where David is facing Saul who is out to destroy David and his ragtag army. We know that he went to the tabernacle that was pitched near Nob. Here David lied to the Levits saying, "I am on a secret mission from Saul, so I was unable to gather supplies before rushing off, "Do you have any bread for me and my men?" Ahimelech, the priest gave them the five consecrated loaves of bread and Goliath's sword.

David was revealed by God that this war was not against God and His ways, but were really against Saul. He was ruling in rebellion against the God of Israel, so David's primary aim was to evade conflict with Saul and continue to follow in God's ways untill David was to take the reign of Israel. So we can see why this time would be confusing.

SO GO WITH GOD for He alone knows what He has in mind in our future, but we can be assured that just as David took solace in God who is on the throne of the Universe. He the Lord will deal with all of those on the earth in His time, whether it was Saul or any other ones who do wickedly. For the reminder David clung onto is found in verse 7 "For the righteous Lord loves justice. The virtous will see His face."

My dear ones rest in this eternal truth, each and every day, for as verse 4 says, "He watches everyone closely, examining every person on earth." So we may say with confidence what David said at the beginning of this Psalm in verse 1 "I trust in the Lord for protection."