443_God’s righteousness is a refuge to the righteous

Psalm 11 In the Lord I take refuge;
how can you say to my soul,
“Flee like a bird to your mountain,
2 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;
3 if the foundations are destroyed,
what can the righteous do?”

4 The Lord is in his holy temple;
the Lord’s throne is in heaven;
his eyes see, his eyelids test the children of man.
5 The Lord tests the righteous,
but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence.
6 Let him rain coals on the wicked;
fire and sulfur and a scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup.
7 For the Lord is righteous;
he loves righteous deeds;
the upright shall behold his face.

In 2011, a tsunami hit Japan. One of the videos that went viral showed a man standing on the rooftop of a sturdy building. Waves crashed around him, and debris swept through entire neighborhoods. While screams of panic rent the air, he stood calm, just because the structure beneath his feet held firm.

That’s what Psalm 11 is all about. When social and moral order seems to be collapsing, chaos all around, and evil seems to be winning, the righteous stand strong because they have a firm foundation.

The psalm begins with confidence. “In the Lord I take refuge,” he says, and asks his unnamed adviser why he should flee “like a bird to its mountain.” David’s friend warns, “The wicked have bent their bows. The foundations are being destroyed. What can the righteous do?” When laws are ignored, when violence is applauded, when standing for truth brings mockery and hardship, what can the righteous possibly do but run?

But David’s answer is simple. “The Lord is in His holy temple; the Lord’s throne is in heaven.” God’s throne stands firm, on its foundation of righteousness and justice. He is still sovereign over the world he made.

David doesn’t deny the danger. He acknowledges the wicked are aiming in the dark, seeking to destroy. But his eyes are lifted higher, to the throne of God. Despite the turmoil below, God is still in control. This is the root of hope.

David reminds us that “His eyes see, His eyelids test the children of man.” These words remind us that God is not a distant observer. He is carefully observing and discerning what goes on in the hearts of all people. Far from being a passive gaze, the divine examination has a purpose.

Verse 5 is key: “The Lord tests the righteous.” Throughout Scripture, we see God testing those He loves — not to punish or destroy them, but to strengthen them. In Zechariah 13:9, we read, “I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on my name and I will answer them. I will say, ‘They are my people,’ and they will say, ‘The Lord is our God.’”

The end of testing is deep-seated and steadfast trust in his justice and mercy, and to collapse all other false supports. Deuteronomy 8:2 expresses this perspective. God tested Israel in the wilderness, “to humble you and to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not.” Trials reveal what’s truly inside.

James 1:2-4 exhorts us to “count it all joy when you face trials… for the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.” God’s tests are meant to make us mature and complete, lacking nothing.

As a skilled metalworker refining gold, he sends his fire to remove impurities and reveal the faith that reflects him clearly. Proverbs 17:3 says, “The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, and the Lord tests hearts.” Trials are temporary, but the faith they forge is eternal.

Job, who endured unimaginable loss, said in Job 23:10, “But He knows the way that I take; when He has tried me, I shall come out as gold.” Peter, writing to believers suffering persecution, echoes this truth in 1 Peter 1:6–7: “You have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith — more precious than gold… may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

While the righteous are tested, the wicked are judged. Verse 5 continues, “[God’s] soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence.” David affirms that God’s justice will not sleep. The Lord will rain fiery judgment on the wicked in his wrath. The same God who tests the righteous will not let evil go unpunished.

This gives David the strength to stand firm. He doesn’t need to run to the mountains, because he is already hidden in the refuge of God’s righteousness. He ends the psalm on a glorious note: “For the Lord is righteous; He loves righteous deeds; the upright shall behold His face.” This is the hope that anchors the soul. The righteous will see God. Those who live with the integrity of faith, who endure trials because they see God’s sovereign and loving hand in all things — they will behold His face.

In biblical language, to see someone’s face is to be assured of closeness, favor, and acceptance. To see the face of God is the ultimate reward of the righteous — to be accepted and acknowledged as his own. Not only is he our deliverer, but our God and the source of all our good.

Hebrews 13:5–6 reminds us: “He has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ So we can confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?’”

When we are tempted or warned by the world or well-intentioned friends to flee from our calling, to hide our identity in Christ, to give up our God-assigned duties, let us take refuge, not in the mountains, but in God’s unshakable righteousness. Though heaven and earth may pass away, God’s word stands firm and his kingdom rules over all. His eyes pierce every veil. Therefore let us stand firm, for though we are tested, we are not alone. And we shall surely behold his face in righteousness.