Taking your Bibles, let's turn to Psalm chapter 11. Psalm chapter 11. We're going to be looking at a Psalm that was written by David during the period of his life spent at the court of King Saul. This is recorded in 1 Samuel chapter 18. And we're all aware of the jealousy, the growing jealousy that David experienced while he was at the court of King Saul. We know that he was in imminent danger. The choruses would read and yell out, Saul has slain his thousands, but David his ten thousands. And that jealousy was growing. But David resolved to face the dangers before him and to triumph over them. And it's through this background that we get the title for our message from Psalm 11, The Triumph of Trust. We're going to be looking at two divisions here in Psalm 11. In verses 1-3, we're going to look at the constancy of the Lord. Isn't it nice to know that He abides faithful? He never changes. He's the same yesterday, today, and forever. The constancy of our Lord is something that we can rely upon. But then in verses 4-7, we're going to look at the certainty of triumph. The certainty of triumph. And we know that if we abide faithful in God's timing, there will be the triumph of trust. Now I want us to look here at verse 1. Verse 1 of Psalm chapter 11. In the Lord put I my trust. How say ye to my soul flee as a bird to your mountain. You see there were many people in verse 1 Many friends of David that were saying, David, the solution to your problems is to run. Flee as a bird. Flee as a bird to your mountain. Get away. You know, in verse 1 we see David's delight in the Lord. That's the first thing I want you to notice. Delight in the Lord. Oftentimes the advice of well-meaning friends is not always right. We can think of Job's comforters, individuals who meant well, but they were wrong. And oftentimes people will counsel us to run from the problem rather than wait upon the Lord. But David, we can see here in verse 1, delighted in the Lord. So in verse 1 we have the delight of the Lord. Some of you have probably gotten some wrong counsel from some of your friends at work. Oftentimes, well-meaning counselors by the water cooler will to tell someone that is having problems in their marriage, dump the idiot. He's not worth hanging on to. Oftentimes, they'll be the counselors that will give the wrong type of advice from the world. Debt consolidation rather than the curbing of unbiblical appetites and practices. See, the world often deals with symptoms rather than the root cause. And those who claim to be friends oftentimes give the wrong type of advice. And we're going to be seeing that there are two areas where friends gave the wrong type of advice to David. The first is to run, David! Run! Flee to the mountain! Flee from the problem! You know, David knew that he had a post. that God had given him in King Saul's court. And he was not going to flee until it was God's appointed time. You know, there are too many quitters in the things of God. Maybe there are some discouraged preachers that are listening to my voice, and some people are just telling you, why don't you run? Why don't you run somewhere else? And people have the grass is greener syndrome, don't they? And people are thinking, well, if things are going rough where you're at, just run. But the point is, you know, there are always going to surface problems that we need to face. And it's oftentimes victory that lies just around the corner if we will learn to persevere. Wait on the Lord to open the door. Well, we've seen the delight in the Lord in verse 1. Now I want us to look at the devices of the wicked. Notice, for lo, the wicked bend their bow. This is why they're telling David to run. The wicked bend their bow, they make ready their arrow upon the string, that they may privately, in other words, out of darkness, ambush is the idea of the Hebrew here, that they may privately shoot at the upright in heart. Take off the wicked, the devices of the wicked. And then some of David's friends, are quoted in verse 3 again. Not only do they say, flee as a bird, but you know, they also say something else. They say, hey, David, it's not worth fighting. Law and order has collapsed. If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do? See, David's counselors are saying, hey, what's the right? What's the logic of keeping on? Law and order has collapsed. It just seems like the unrighteous are winning. And what's the use of standing up? And you know, there are a lot of churches I see in our society today. I'm a dispensationalist, and I realize that Eschatologically, the Word of God teaches that evil men will wax worse and worse. I don't believe that the Church will ever change the world. The old campus crusade philosophy, come change the world. The only one that's going to change this world is going to be Daniel's smiting stone prophecy. You've read about it in Daniel chapter 2. When the Lord establishes his kingdom, And the stone cut without hands smashes the world's kingdoms, tumbling down, and then that little stone becomes a mountain, picturing the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ. And this world is going to be changed by divine intervention, not the Church seeking to infiltrate dominion theology and all of these things that we see today, the amillennial concept, and and all of that but you know i believe that that we as the church we see what is happening with terrorism in our country today i was on the phone uh... just a couple of days ago with a man who who had a very depressionistic view and it was almost uh... survivalist view that what do you think is going to happen in in in prophecy and where do you think we ought to run to to find a shelter and a safe haven. And it was almost a retreat theology. Let's find where we can hide away, maybe in Montana or South Dakota or somewhere. Well, you know, don't forget the mailbox bomber, you know, those rural areas. But, you know, it was the philosophy of, you know, let's get our guns and let's get our MREs. and uh... let's get mre made ready to eat some of you can look around at those packets that you you uh... boil and there's your food there's your ration they use them out on the field the battlefield and dick you know what that's all about some of you veterans do uh... and the churches is pictured as it being in the defensive folks let me tell you something i never in my life felt like more being on the offensive We need to realize that we carry the authority of our Lord Christ and God has allowed providentially for us in our beloved America to have the freedom of speech and the freedom of assembly and the freedom of going out and sharing our faith. And I realize there are liberals that are nipping away at that and nibbling away and trying to do what they can to defrock us of that privilege. But I'll tell you, folks, we need to be on the offensive. And there are too many friends that are telling the church, flee to the mountain! Oh, the foundations are being moved! What can the righteous do? Oh, we're wringing our hands in panic, wondering what's coming next. Let's just kind of put our heads in the sand and let's just see what happens. The Lord says, occupy till I come. No, we're not bringing in the kingdom through our self-efforts to change the world. But we need to realize that the Lord wins. Read Revelation. Read prophecy. We're on the winning side. And the Lord has His elect. The Lord has His bride. And we are involved in proclaiming a whosoever will gospel. And we know that the Word of God will not return void. God promises to bless His Word. And we need to be faithful. The Word of God says in 1 Corinthians 4 that it's expected of a steward, a house manager, someone who's a proxy, an agent in the Lord's stead, that we be found faithful in the work of the Lord. And there are going to be many people that will say, flee to the mountain. There will be many people that will be bemoaning What's happening in our nation? And yes, it is reason for prayer and to have concern about it. But if our concern drives us to be immobile and inactive, where we start saying, woe is me, folks, we're not in the right frame of mind. We need to realize that the Lord is in control. And this is what we see as we see the devices of the wicked. And we can see David's delight in the Lord, verse 1. We see the devices of the wicked. And I want you to notice now in verse 4, we see the dwelling of the Lord in verse 4. The Lord is in His holy temple. For too long the church has been in verse 1b. For too long, the church says, flee to the mountain. For too long, the church is in verse 3, wailing and bewailing the fact that privileges are crumbling. Yes, but listen, we need to be in verse 4. We need to realize that He is in His holy temple. He is in control. And the trial that you are facing, Stop running. Stop being frantic. And stop trying to escape and find your own solution. The Word of God says here, the Lord is in His holy temple and He sees and He knows. Notice, the Lord's throne is in heaven. It's a kingly throne. He's in charge. His eyes behold. His eyelids try. You see, the trials that David was going through in verse 1, the Lord was aware of it. And for those that are His children, the Lord allows difficulties to come into our lives to try us, to test us, to purify us. But the Word of God says here, His eyelids try the children of men. But notice here in verses 5 and 6, we've seen the delight in the Lord, verse 1, the devices of the wicked, verses 2 and 3, the dwelling of the Lord in verse 4. Now look at the destruction from the Lord. The Lord in His time is going to destroy the wicked. And by the way, He took care of King Saul in His time as well. How often and how many times did David have a chance to get back at King Saul in the cave? To get back at King Saul. And he could have done an Absalom-type rebellion. But no, he didn't. He allowed the Lord to take care of him. Now notice what it says here in verse 5. Destruction from the Lord. The Lord tries the righteous. He purifies us through trials. But notice, the wicked and him that loves violence, his soul hates. He's not in that relationship with them of approval. He's going to judge their sin. He hates their sin and he will deal with their sin. He provides the pathway of salvation and forgiveness, but when they reject the only means of their salvation, then there only remains retribution." And that's the concept of verse 5b. And notice it continues with destruction from the Lord. "...Upon the wicked he shall reign snares, fire and brimstone, and a horrible tempest. This shall be the portion of their cup." So you see, we ought not to fret at evildoers. When we see that everything is going their way, and it seems like they're in control, and it seems like the solution for us is to retreat and to flee, and to bemoan the falling and destruction of law and order. But the Lord says, don't you worry, I'm in control. Verse 7 finishes for us here with devotion. to the Lord. The Lord wants devotion. Notice what the Word of God says, For the righteous Lord loves, he loveth righteousness, his countenance doth behold the upright. The Lord is well aware as 2nd Chronicles 16.9 and let's turn there if we will. 2nd Chronicles 16 and verse 9 The Lord has His eye on those that are devoted to Him. 2 Chronicles 16, 9, The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong in behalf of them whose heart is perfect towards Him. You see, and the Lord had His eye and blessed David for his faithfulness in the court of King Saul. Saul was one of those who was among the proud and the rebellious. The one who would not seek God's timing, was rebellious against His commandments and His orders. But the Lord says, I love righteousness, and My countenance beholds the upright. So take heart. Keep on doing right. If no one else is aware of it, the Lord is. and He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. So we've seen the constancy of the Lord and the certainty of triumph. And the Lord wants us to trust Him. This week, somehow, someone is going to call you and say, flee. Run from your obligations. Somehow, someway, a friend, media, Some type of temptation to abandon God's calling and His placement for you in your life. The old devil will whisper and say, well, you don't want to be too aggressive in your witness for me. You know, flee to the mountain. Retreat. God puts you somewhere right where you are. Bloom where you are. And yes, foundations are crumbling. But let's realize that we, above all people, have the privileges of being witnesses for the Lord. Let's go on the offensive. Let's practice the triumph of trust. For the Lord sees. Let's pray. Father, thank You for Your Word. Thank You for David. At a time, Lord, where he could have so easily relinquished his trust in You. At times it saw through that javelin and sought to pin him to the wall and destroy him. You delivered him because, Lord, you wanted to make out of a shepherd boy a king. Here was a young man who Lord was willing to step out and trust you. And Father, we know that your eyes are beholding for people who won't run, people who won't, Lord, turn and compromise their convictions. But Lord, we'll take your commands at face value and aggressively launch forward. May that be, Lord, our response. We'll be careful to give you the praise in what you accomplish in our lives. In Jesus' name, amen.