Gospel Reflections #984: between ‘human solutions (flight)’ and ‘solutions through faith (trust in God)’.

Psalm 11:1,2 ‘I have taken refuge in the Lord. Why do you say to my soul, “Flee like a bird to the mountains! For behold, the wicked have drawn their bows; they have bent their arrows on the strings to shoot from the shadows at the upright in heart.”’

This depicts the contrast between ‘trust in God’ and ‘the turmoil of those around’ when facing a desperate crisis.

David, who had fled to the wilderness of Ziph, was encouraged by Jonathan’s unexpected visit.

And afterwards, he sang Psalm 11.

Through this psalm, David expressed his absolute trust in God’s protection, even whilst his life was under threat and he was being urged to continue his flight.

 The scene where his friends and advisers, seeing the very real dangers (such as the threat of assassination by political enemies), urged him to ‘flee quickly to a safe place’ suggests that, to them, relying on God alone seemed insufficient.

However, David had peace in his heart because, even in times of difficulty, God was his refuge and his strength.

This passage depicts the conflict between ‘human solutions (flight)’ and ‘solutions through faith (trust in God)’. 

However, the peace that our God grants us does not come from Him improving our circumstances or eliminating our adversaries, but from the fact that He is always with us and constantly guides us towards what is best and His will.

A righteous person is one who builds a relationship with God and follows Him.

And that is how we respond to God’s love and grace.

AUTHOR'S BIO: This Gospel Reflections page is written by Masae San, who resides in Hiroshima, Japan. Masae is a dedicated student of the Bible with a deep passion for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. She shares her daily reflections on Gospel perspectives to reach out to others and spread the message of God's true love through a Christ-centered approach. We are sharing her insights here so that you, too, can experience the joy that comes from knowing and understanding the true Gospel and the love of God through Jesus Christ.