Well friends, we trust the Lord to bless us as we gather around the word of the Lord today. Our reading today is taken from Psalm number 11. Look at Psalms number 11. In verse 1 it says, In the Lord put I my trust, how say ye to my soul, flee as a bird to your mountain. But lo, the wicked bend their bow, and they make ready their arrow upon the stone, that they may secretly shoot at the upright in heart. If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do? The Lord is in his holy temple. The Lord's throne is in heaven. His eyes behold the eyelids. His eyelids test the children of men. The Lord testeth the righteous. But the wicked and him who loveth violence, his soul hateth. Upon the wicked he shall reign, snares, fire, and brimstone, and horrible tempest. This shall be the portion of their cup. For the righteous Lord loveth righteousness. His countenance doth behold the upright. And we'll trust the Lord to bless the reading of his own precious word. We're in Psalm 11 this morning. And this psalm in my Bible says, David taking refuge in God. This is a psalm of David in which many believe fits easily into David's life when he was serving in the court of King Saul after the slaying of Goliath. This is a very difficult time for David. His boss, so to speak, had a problem with him. After his victory over Goliath and the Philistines, David had become more popular than Saul, and Saul couldn't cope with that, so to speak, and become increasingly unhinged, to say the least. That's a quick background to the psalm. David's early life breaks down simply into three parts. His time in the country, his time in the court, and his time in the cave. And his time in the country, when the scripture says he was looking after those sheep, David would spend a lot of time alone with his God and learning to worship with little distraction. and with little distraction, and he's fit to trust in his Lord. Of course, there's little else in the wilderness there. But with the Lord's help, he would shepherd them sheep, and when attacked, when the sheep were attacked, with the Lord's help, he would kill the lion and the bear. So that was his time in the country. His time in the court, which is what you're interested in tonight, maybe is the shortest of the three time periods, but maybe more intense than the others. David was there to start with, to play the harp for Saul, to try to charm away his deep, dark moods that King Saul seemed to fall into. And later, David would be sent on risky errands for the king, with his king hoping that it was a one-way trip. And thirdly, David's time in the cave. These were years that David spent on the run with sole soldiers ever on his tail. And at this time, David learned how to manage and lead a small army of faithful men, and maybe even learned about the battles worth fighting, the battles worth fighting in life. So that was David's early life, his time in the country, his time in the court, and his time in the cave. But on the status time in the court that we are interested in today, here in Psalm 11 I should also say that to complicate things further, during this time David married Saul's daughter Michaela and also David became firm friends with Jonathan, King Saul's son. So through that in the mix, and then the fact that the nation would cheer louder for David than they would for King Saul only added to Saul's suspicion and spite. So then getting down to the psalm itself, it starts off with a lovely few words. In the Lord put I my trust. So David's life was in grave danger on a daily basis, and this is what he could say. In the Lord put I my trust. In 1 Samuel 19 and verse 1, we see something of what was going on. And Saul spoke to Jonathan, his son, and to all his servants, that they should kill David. 19 and verse 10 goes on to say, and Saul sought to smite David even to the wall with a javelin, but he slipped away out of Saul's presence, and he smote the javelin into the wall, and David fled and escaped that night. But in spite of all this present danger, David was still trusting in the Lord to shelter him from these circumstances. David had confidence in the righteousness and ability of his God to put a hedge about him in the face of such danger. David states this great statement of faith, In the Lord put I my trust. There's a blessing, friends, in trusting the Lord in all circumstances, whatever comes our way. This seems like an extreme case to try to bring into the 21st century, But think again, friends. Who would have thought, who would have believed that doing your day's work, that doing your shopping, that sitting in a coffee shop and shaking your hands, shaking the hands of a friend or even worship of the Lord would in some way endanger your life. Sounds like a horror movie that most of us would not want to watch. But it's been here now, it's been here now for 10 months. You ask me, what do we do at this time? Well, I say to you, as I try to do myself, and as David did in a very difficult time and very difficult circumstances, he said, in the Lord, that I might trust. What else have we got, friends? What else have we got? Do we trust in our government? Do we trust in our medical science? Do we trust in many other things? You could go on. But that's even a faithless question to ask. Our trust is in the one that does not fail. Our trust, our faith and trust is in the one who shall not fail. Our God is a refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble, we read in Psalm 46. Our God is a refuge, he is a hiding place when troubles surround us, and he strengthens us and carries us when we are weak, and he's a very present help, in other words, he's ever by our side. Now our day-to-day peace of mind comes down to the fact that we leave our concerns and worries with the Lord and trust him for future days and the days that lie ahead in this world. That goes for many other things in life. Me or you could have a number of difficulties come to our door, but it's still back to the same thing. We're to trust the Lord through it all. So David, could make this great statement of faith. In the Lord put I, put I my trust. In verses one and two together, then we notice David's well-meaning friends. David's well-meaning friends. In the Lord put I my trust. How say ye to my soul, flee as a bird to the mountain, for lo, the wicked bend their bow, and they make ready their arrow upon the string, that they may secretly shoot at the upright in heart. David was doing well, his trust was in the Lord, and he had peace about his position. But circumstances and people started to undermine his faith in the Lord at this time. David's friends started to offer him advice to flee to the mountain, where they were hearing of wicked plans. And you are a man of integrity, David, but these people care little about that. David's well-meaning friends were his wife Michaela and Jonathan, so it was Saul's daughter and it was Saul's son. But they had David's best interests at heart. David is still confident the Lord wants him in the court at this time. Later, of course, he did have to run for the mountain, but not yet. Maybe these well-meaning friends and the change of circumstances had just upset his peace from the Lord for a temporary period. That's liable. That's liable to happen, of course. But friends, what do we do when we're making decisions? We have big decisions to make. First thing we should ask ourselves, what does the Lord say? What does the Lord want us to do? And then these well-meaning friends are the spiritual people. Has their counsel been valuable in the past? Are they in touch with the Lord now? Are they in touch with the Lord at this present moment? Job's wife, I'm sure, was a good woman. I have no doubt Job's wife was a very good woman, but had suffered great and terrible losses, and was a well-meaning friend, I have no doubt, to Job. But she was too upset to think straight. and said to Job, Christ God and I, which of course was not right at that time and would never be right. But just be careful whose counsel you listen to, is the lesson of course here. Be careful whose counsel you listen to. Well-meaning friends are not always right. Circumstances may be getting more difficult and risky, but the Lord is still worthy of our trust. So David considered the facts at this time, and it's good to re-evaluate your position at times, but their counsel will be ignored for David is going to lean on the Lord. He's going to leave it all in the Lord's hands. Circumstances are important to consider, but do not let them be your only guide. There's God's way and God's wisdom, there's also man's way and wisdom. But David had reasoned that he was better going God's way. So we're noticed there, and then versus David's will, meaning friends. Where did the problem begin? Where did the problem begin? The whole background to this psalm. As we think of the whole background to this psalm, in 1 Samuel Chapter 18, verses 7 and 9, it says, The woman spoke to one another as they played and said, Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands. In verse 9, it says, and it goes on to say, But Saul and Saul aid David from that day onward. The word aid there means watched enviously. Watched enviously. That was a problem. This was the beginning This was its beginnings, envy. Envy is a destroyer of relationships. Envy destroyed the relationship between David and Saul, and the court was happy with the status quo as it was, and naturally it damaged the nation. Can I say, just as a lesson we can learn from this story at this time, and the history of it. Can I say that there is a lesson that we can learn from this story, at this time in the history of the nation of Israel. Envy, and even jealousy if you want to call it, can destroy families, it can destroy businesses, it can destroy relationships, and what we're interested in today, of course, is the Church of Jesus Christ. Envy serves relationships in the Church. It can stifle talent, it can cause disunity and division, it deadens, it can deaden meetings, it can empty churches. Proverbs 27 and verse 4 it says wrath is cruel and anger is outrageous but who is able to stand before envy. In first Corinthians 3 and verse 3 it says for ye are yet carnal whereas for whereas there is among you envy and strife and divisions are ye not carnal and walk as men. Envy is a symptom of something else carnality and carnality is a life with little evidence of spiritual content. If Saul and David could have worked together, how that would have prospered Israel. If Saul could have enjoyed David's victories as also being a victory of his, how different things would have been. But no, This is in the passage that I shared with you. It's not an enjoyable subject to bring out today, but friends, let's, with the Lord's help, seek to enjoy one another's victories and successes, especially on a spiritual level. Especially on a spiritual level. That will help stifle envy and carnality. Where did the problem begin? Sadly, the problem began with envy. Sadly, the problem began with envy. in Saul's life. The lost foundation. I want you to notice the lost foundation. In 11 and verse 3, it says, if the foundation be destroyed, what can the righteous do? At this stage, David tells us of an even greater problem than that of his life being in danger at the hands of Saul and his right-hand men. The problem is the whole organization around, so the foundation of the court is corrupt. The word foundation used here in the Hebrew means the settled order of things, the settled order of things. So David is saying the settled order of things in a court is unfixable on a human level. Those that are there are only interested in their own political advantage, and there is little he can do outside of the Lord's intervention. So David finds himself in a situation where everything is just not good, corrupt around him, and there is nothing he can do about it. But trust his God once again. Dave is a bystander to all this, whose life is in danger because he is different and righteous, yet he believes the Lord wants him to stick it out, wants him to stick it out for me. Notice something we must guard. Notice something we must guard. I find this verse actually quite hard to apply. At first, through our day, through our day, let's for a moment bring this verse into the New Testament and follow. I just want to follow the word foundation. Follow the word foundation. In 1 Corinthians 3, verse 11, it says, for other foundation can no man lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Saul seemed to be only thinking of self-interest, and his men in the court were worse than that, I would think. worse than him. But things in the church are done in Christ's name and for his sake, and for his sake alone. The foundation is the Lord Jesus Christ, as we read in that verse in 1 Corinthians. And in him we build from there, we build from there. Friends, there are important men in the church, very important men in the church, and there are ministries within the church, and there are important ministries within the church, but the work is about Christ. There's important works in the Church, but they are of little value if they're not there to glorify our Lord Jesus Christ. There is an important message in the Church, the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, and it must be about Him and about His saving grace. There is an important book in the Church, the Word of the Living God, and it's all about Christ, and we are to share it and to be hearers of it and to be doers of it. To some, this may seem a strange thing to highlight, but it can happen. Our focus can slowly slip away from Christ onto other things, as this psalm would tell us. We are on the road to destruction when that happens. When the foundation is destroyed, we're on the road to destruction. Now, we are to continue to be looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. If we can keep Christ as our foundation and build from there, we will have a place, we will have a church where the righteous can be encouraged and edified and Christ honoured. Friends, be careful the foundation is not lost. Be careful the foundation is not lost. Watching from the throne. Watching from the throne. And in chapter 11 and verse 4, the Lord is in his holy temple, the Lord's throne is in heaven, his eyes behold, his eyelids test the children of men. It's easy to look around us and to see the evil chaos that surrounds us and start to foolishly think that God has abdicated his throne, or at least is too silent when we think he should be speaking and acting. But God is in heaven. and his options are many to deal with the situation. His eyes behold, his eyelids test the children of men. You know the way you squint your eyes when you're seeking to focus on something more intensely. Well, that is what is pictured here, where God is focusing intensely on the behavior of the children of men. We get the impression sometimes We get the impression sometimes that the Lord is not seeing the difficulties that we are in, and that it just continues day after day and week after week and so on. But this verse assures me that that is not the case. That is not the case. Indeed, God is watching and focused intently on every twist and turn in our lives. Let's continue to supplicate the Lord's throne in prayer. For of all our difficulties, the Lord is intently aware of them. And let's be encouraged in prayer that the answer is on the way. And for the throne is occupied, and he's still awaiting our requests. He's still awaiting our requests, watching from the throne. Praise God there's one watching from the throne. The test, verse 5 says, the Lord testeth the righteous, but the wicked, and him who loveth violence, his soul hateth. The question has to be asked, how did the righteous do in the test? How did the righteous do in the test? Well, David, I think, could say that he had done quite well through all the pressure and the danger thus far. He sought to do his service for the nation of Israel through it all. But how are we doing? Are we overcoming the stresses and the strains of everyday life? And the big test is, is the Lord's work pushing on, and how are we getting on in the Lord's work? Are we a help to that? The Lord's tests are to make us stronger. The Lord's tests are designed to make us stronger, but sometimes our resentment and resistance can sometimes be a cause that can have the opposite effect. But note what it didn't say in this verse. Note what it didn't say in this verse. There was no test for the wicked. It was not the Lord tested the wicked. But we would all enjoy sitting and pointing out the faults of the wicked. That is just an old diversionary tactic. And it's not me. It's not me, it's him. Look at that. The Lord deals with the wicked in his own good time, but the question was, how did you get on in the test? How did you get on in the test? In 1 Corinthians 15 and verse 58, for the glory of God, for the glory of God. The test, we notice there in verse 5. In verse 6, my heading is, the battle is the Lord's. The battle is the Lord's. In verse 6, it says, upon the wicket he shall reign snares, fire, and brimstone, and horrible tempest. This shall be the portion of their cup. Whenever I think of this verse, Whenever I think of this verse and verses like it, my mind goes to scriptures which say, vengeance is mine, said the Lord, for the battle is the Lord's. And 1 Samuel 17 and verse 47, it says, and all the assembly shall know that the Lord save us not with sword and spear, for the battle is the Lord's, and he will give you into his hands. We need not worry about those organizations or individuals even who seem to get away scot-free with deeds that are not right, that are anti-scriptural, with laws and with acts that are not good, etc., or that even do people harm, that do good people harm even. It's frustrating to watch as they carry on on their wicked way, but friends, Our God can and will fight his own battles. Our God can and will fight his own battles. This is another situation in which we should just trust the Lord. We're to just trust the Lord. There are things and judgments of this world that are not our responsibility, and this is one of them. The battle is the Lord's, and he is well able to fight his own corner. Then verse 7, I believe we see, I've just entitled this Loved. I've just entitled this Loved. Verse 7, it says, For the righteous Lord loveth righteousness. His countenance does behold the upright. David had been very badly treated by Saul and by the court. David was the Lord's help, had fought and won some great battles. but they seemed to only bring him more grief in the court. David had to play his harp, with one eye on his music and the other eye watching for the king's javelin or bows and arrows being raised in his direction. But no matter about all that, on David's many enemies in the court, it's so much greater to be in favour with the Lord than with men. With the Lord to be pleased with your actions, most of all to be assured of the Lord's love for you and all his children. Our righteousness is in Christ, and so comes the love, and so comes his love. Our righteousness is in Christ, and so comes his love. In Jeremiah 31 and verse 3, the Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee, I have loved thee with an everlasting love. Therefore What loving kindness have I drawn thee? The Lord's love for his people is from everlasting to everlasting, friends. What a truth. And indeed, he lays out his path for us to follow in love. The path we're to follow is in love as well. Our Lord is a loving help, a loving guide, and we need never doubt the Lord's motives because they're always done in love. It's all been done in love. And he has drawn thee, and then the verse goes on to say, he has drawn thee, and he has drawn thee in love. He will see us through whatever comes, whatever comes our way. The hymn writer wrote it well when he said, love with everlasting love, led by grace I'd love to know, spread breathing from above, thou hast taught me it is so. Oh, this frail imperfect peace, oh, this transferred old divine, in the love which cannot cease, I am his and he is mine. In the love which cannot cease, I am his. and he is mine. No matter our circumstances, at any given moment, the Lord's everlasting love for his people does not change. It does not and will not change. A lovely trace to especially be remembered when maybe the road seems hard and the road seems long, but we're loved. We're loved with everlasting love. So friends, we have noticed this morning In the Lord put I my trust, a great statement of faith of David's. Where better could we put our trust than in the Lord? David's well-meaning friends, but what is the Lord saying? What's the Lord saying to us? Where did the problem begin, friends? Sadly, the big problem began with envy, and friends, envy is a destroyer. The lost foundation, friends, Christ is our only foundation, and from there we build, and from there we build. Watching from the throne, the Lord is watching, and the throne is waiting for our prayers. The test. Let's, with the Lord's help, pass the tests that come our way to the Lord's glory. The battle is the Lord's. There are things that are not our responsibility. Loved. Simply just loved. Circumstances may change. but the Lord's love for us changes not. We do trust the Lord who blesses word to each and every heart this day. Let's just still our hearts in a word of prayer. Father and our God, we do pause in thy presence. We thank and praise thee indeed for our Lord Jesus Christ. We thank and praise thee for his love and grace toward us. For the day and hour you reached down and saved us by thy grace, Lord, and for the way you have led and guided us even since then, we give thee thanks, Lord. We thank you for thy word. We thank you for the The great truths were even thought about this morning, Lord. We thank and praise Thee. Indeed, we are loved with everlasting love. We thank and praise Thee. We can't put our total trust in Thee. From day to day, whatever comes our way, we thank Thee for Thy goodness, too. So, Lord, we just leave all in Thy presence. We pray for Thy people. We pray Thy blessing upon each one. Keep Thy good hand upon each one and restore to health and strength those who need a touch from myself. And we ask all these things in our Lord Jesus' precious name. Amen.