Ruin and Refuge
This is the manuscript of the Psalm 11 sermon I preached on July 27th at Trinity West Seattle as part of our Summer in the Psalms series in 2025.
You can watch it here or read it below.
WELCOME
Good morning Trinity! My name is Jayson Curry and I am one of the Lead Pastor Residents here at Trinity. I am so excited to be with you all today to open God’s Word together. We are in our Summer in the Psalms series.
Psalm is in the middle of your bible. In the Old Testament. So if you grab one of the bibles in the pew backs in front of you, open it to the middle, you will be pretty close. Today we are in Psalm 11, which is on page 452.
In our Summer in the Psalms series we look at a different Psalm each week. They teach us how to worship God in all the stuff of life.
We learn from these ancient words what it means to praise God, thank him, cry out to him; how to lament, repent, and have joy. The psalms give voice to express the full range of human emotion.
Jesus prays and fulfills the Psalms, and so we want to know: What is the Psalmist saying? How does it connect to Jesus? And How Should We Respond?
Let’s pray before we hop into Psalm 11 together…
INTRODUCTION
Psalm 11 is a psalm of David. They are his words.
In order to get a better understanding of what this Psalm means, it is helpful to read it in the context it was written, which is in 1 Samuel [you don’t have to turn there].
The first half of the book of 1 Samuel has the story of Israel, God’s chosen people, and their transition to a monarchy.
Previously led by prophets, priests, judges and others, Israel wanted a king. So God used the prophet and priest named Samuel to crown Israel’s first king. Saul. Saul was not the best king. God rejected Saul because of Saul’s disobedience.
So God called Samuel to anoint another to replace Saul while Saul was still on the throne. His replacement was David.
David’s transition to kingship is the second half of 1 Samuel. He defeated Goliath. Serves Saul. Becomes friends with Saul’s son. Marries Saul's daughter. Defeated some Philistines (Israel’s enemies). Saul becomes jealous. So Saul attempts to kill David, and David goes on the run.
Psalm 11 could be applied generally to many times in David’s life where darkness was approaching. But most scholars believe that Psalm 11 was written during that time frame. More specifically around the time of 1 Samuel 23-26 while David is actively being pursued by Saul.
In 1 Samuel 26 it says the following:
1 Samuel 26:2–4
[2] So Saul arose and went down to the wilderness of Ziph with three thousand chosen men of Israel to seek David in the wilderness of Ziph. [3] And Saul encamped on the hill of Hachilah, which is beside the road on the east of Jeshimon. But David remained in the wilderness. When he saw that Saul came after him into the wilderness, [4] David sent out spies and learned that Saul had indeed come.
Pause to imagine the situation with me…
David is being pursued by his own king. (v2)
F-I-L and father of best friend
David is being pursued by 3000 of his own countrymen. (v2)
(who he was called to be the king of at a later point)
David can visually see his pursuers. (v3b)
David is being advised that Saul is near (learned). (v4)
Whether Psalm 11 captures a conversation with his advisors or his own internal dialogue, what follows is a response to a terrifying reality.
Just put yourself in David’s shoes for a minute…your literal world is falling apart. You are on the run. You have no home.
Regardless of whether or not it is really a team of advisors or a personal internal dialogue, David responds to fear and the ideas of: “FLEE! RUN! The wicked are here! The monsters are coming in the dark! They have weapons. They are trying to kill us. Our entire world has come crashing down around us David! What can we even do?! Run!! Flee!”
How would you respond?
David’s response in Psalm 11 is essentially this:
Ruin feels truer, but the refuge of God is the reality.
David does not ignore the danger, but he doesn’t surrender to it either. He roots himself in the deeper reality.
David actually models, like a leader should, how each of us should respond in the insanity of our lives, and how we should respond to others when the hard times hit. His response here in all 7 verses of Psalm 11 follows this format:
David’s response to his circumstances:
Remember reality (11:1a)
Truthfully address circumstances (11:1b-3)
Emphasize the deeper reality (11:4-7)
So let’s take a minute and look at each of these parts of his responses.
1. REMEMBER REALITY
Psalm 11:1a
1 In the LORD I take refuge;
When the stress hits and David first receives this news, David immediately grounds himself in reality.
After being approached by his advisors with frightening words while on the run, he grounds himself in the fact that God is his refuge.
He reminds himself that his foundation is not in his stuff, his relationships, his role, his position…none of it. His foundation, his refuge, is in God alone.
Ruin feels truer. It feels inevitable. But the refuge of God is the reality.
So what is refuge?
Biblically, refuge is a sanctuary or a safe place. It is a place of covering and protection. It is a place free from the deepest harms and ills.
Think of a wildlife refuge. Ideally, no flora nor fauna will be harmed inside of the boundaries of a wildlife refuge.
David is basically saying that no matter what happens in this life, my safety, my wholeness, my well being is in the Lord.
David is acknowledging that It is not about where I can go or what I can do, but it is about Who is in control.
Another way to think about refuge is with little kids playing chase or tag.
If you have ever been in my house when my two older boys get going…it's wild.
The house is full of giggles, head bonks, trippings, diving over couches…just utter chaos. But sometimes when my boys play tag, they get smart. Oliver will run from Dietrich and hide behind myself or Whitney and kinda of dodge Dietrich's hands. He is taking refuge and using me or Whitney as a shield or barrier from the Dietrich tags. Sometimes we even help be the barrier.
That is what taking refuge in God should be like for us. We should sprint as fast as our little legs can carry us and hide with the Father. Go to the one who is in control. That is what David is doing here. Immediately goes to the Lord. That is the righteous act here.
But here is another component to it all…David is doing this IN FRONT OF others and not TO others.
They come to him with worry, he doesn’t dismiss them or minimize them and say, “Go take refuge in the Lord.”
Like every good leader, David takes ownership for his actions and responses. He sets the tone and lives out the example. He says, “In the Lord, I take refuge.” Then later, he acts in faith in 1 Samuel 26.
David lives out his faith and trust in God. He is an example in front of others through verbalizing reality and through leading by taking the first step.
By grounding himself in the reality of the refuge of God, he grounds those around him in the reality of God too.
He points not to himself, but to the foundation that cannot be shaken. It's not his king or his nation or his stuff or his ability to hide that gives him refuge. He points to the one who cannot be forced out of the kingdom and put on the run. He remembers reality both personally and publicly.
So that is the first part of David’s response to his circumstances. Remember reality. In the Lord I take refuge.
But let’s keep going and check out the second part of David’s response.
David’s response to his circumstances:
Remember reality (11:1a)
Truthfully address circumstances (11:1b-3)
Emphasize the deeper reality (11:4-7)
2. TRUTHFULLY ADDRESS CIRCUMSTANCES
Psalm 11:1-3
1 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 abend 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?”
The “you” here in verse 1 is important. The “you” is those advisors we discussed before.
They tell him to flee; to look at the wicked and their wickedness; they will hunt us in the night; our very foundation is cracked. They ask, “What can we do?”
He effectively quotes them and gives voice to their very real fears. My guess is that David mirrors their tone too. David labels their thoughts. This is an amazing response! He acknowledges the words of his counterparts. Doing this actually helps him connect with his advisors and men.
David appears to be quoting or rephrasing the news he received from his advisors.
In modern psychology we call this ‘mirroring’.
I need to nerd out for a second…I LOVE when God’s Word and theology collide with other fields of study. When math points to a designer. When science points to a creator. When psychology points to a relational God. This passage is one of those times!
David did something here thousands of years ago that modern psychology actually utilizes in counseling, negotiating, leadership, and other areas.
Here in Psalm 11 David what modern psychology calls ‘mirroring’. He takes what has been told to him, and quotes it back, naming the fear and the reality.
Check out what former FBI Negotiator Chris Voss says in his book Never Split the Difference:
“Mirroring, also called isopraxism, is essentially imitation. It’s another neurobehavior humans (and other animals) display in which we copy each other to comfort each other. It can be done with speech patterns, body language, vocabulary, tempo, and tone of voice.” (Chris Voss, Never Split the Difference, 35)
God has intentionally designed us as relational beings. He intentionally created us to feel comforted and connected when someone mirrors us.
We do this with babies when they learn to talk. Mirror their sounds and expressions. We can do this with others. You should try it! Simply repeat what they say, match their demeanor. Connect with them. Comfort them.
David is mirroring them and their words. He is meeting them where they are at! He doesn’t sugarcoat the reality of the situation or disguise the truth either.
I also want to emphasize verse 3 here. What do the righteous do when their foundations are wrecked? David is truthfully and honestly addressing the situation.
The core of who he is and who they are is cracking under the pressure of their lives and circumstances. He doesn’t shy away from truth while he is mirroring them. He has empathy that is tethered to the truth.
David’s response to his circumstances:
Remember reality (11:1a)
Truthfully address circumstances (11:1b-3)
Emphasize the deeper reality (11:4-7)
First, David told them, “the Lord is my refuge.” He remembers reality. He leads by example. He points to God.
Second, he meets his people (advisors) where they are at. He honestly addresses the circumstances. He comforts them through mirroring. He meets people where they are.
And third he is going to bring people from where they are to where God is. He is going to lead them to the deeper reality. So let’s take a look at those last verses together.
3. EMPHASIZE THE DEEPER REALITY
Psalm 11:4-7
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.
The deeper reality in this second half of the text is quite simple.
God is in the throne. Period.
The world is his domain and he is in complete control. He is King. He is sitting there watching and observing all of what is happening.
His eyes watch. His eyelids wait to see ALL the children of man. Nothing happens in our world that he doesn’t notice. God is sovereign over all.
Verses 5-6 are important because David again addresses a little bit of their circumstances while bringing it back to the deeper reality. [read 5-6 again]. He is bringing a deeper truth to bear on their current circumstances.
David is communicating that…Yes, God will test us and hard things will come, but the justice and righteousness of God will outlast the evil. It will beat it back. Wickedness has an expiration date.
All of that is why David takes refuge in the Lord. God is a righteous King who will extinguish evil. Ruin feels truer, but the refuge of God is the reality.
CLOSING
The application for this text comes in simply following what David did with his own men and for himself in Psalm 11.
David’s response to his circumstances:
Remember reality (11:1a)
Truthfully address circumstances (11:1b-3)
Emphasize the deeper reality (11:4-7)
Honestly, this is an amazing response and leadership example to many hard things. Think about it with kids. Sometimes my sons wake up in the middle of the night, very afraid.
I remind them that I love them, their mom loves them, and that Jesus loves them.
I tell them that the dark can be scary. I don’t dismiss their fear.
Then I point them to Jesus, who is the light. He has overcome the darkness. That when they are afraid, they can trust in him. He is bigger than their fears.
But what about when you can’t do what David did? Or when the ruin you face is so overwhelming you feel crippled or frozen? You simply forget entirely about God…then what?
I have had moments like that. But I have a question…In those dark, stressful, anxiety inducing moments, where do you run for refuge?
For me, throughout my life at various times, I have tried to cover myself or take refuge in temporary things. Maybe you have as well?
I’ve tried to dull stress with alcohol, food, or nicotine. I’ve reached for comfort in plans, people, family, work, hobbies…anything to cover the fear, the anxiety, the pressure.
The problem is that all of those things are not necessarily bad on their own. An amazing IPA, an amazing cigar, time with your kids and spouse, great effort at work, or dedication to a hobby.
None of those things are evil by themselves. A good beer, a good cigar, time with family, hard work…those can all be good gifts.
But when they become the place we run to, they stop being gifts and start becoming gods.
That’s where the real ruin begins.
That is what David is really fighting against. Running to a temporary refuge away from danger. No matter how much power David gains, it will not be enough. No matter how good his plan is, it will not be good enough. The same is true for us!
The bottom of the bottle holds ruin. The end of nicotine products is ruin.
If I make my wife bear the weight of all my fears and my needs, she will suffer, I will suffer, and our family will suffer.
If I make my kids the place I go for ultimate comfort, they cannot bear the weight that only God himself can bear!
If I make work or hobbies my place of sanctuary, everything else gets sacrificed.
When we take refuge in things that are temporary, it will fail. What we consume consumes us. There is no real safety and wholeness in those places. None. Every refuge other than God will lead to ruin.
But…there is one who experienced ultimate ruin and forsook all refuge.
Jesus experienced ruin so that we have refuge for eternity.
David was pursued by an evil king and evil soldiers, but was spared.
Jesus himself was pursued by authorities, and was not spared.
On the cross, Jesus forsook his refuge with the Father. He gave up safety. He was naked, exposed, beaten. He had no refuge, so you and I could experience refuge.
Let’s take one last look at verse 7
Psalm 11:7
7 For the LORD is righteous;
he loves righteous deeds;
the upright shall behold his face.
God is righteous, we are not. Christ’s righteousness is freely given, because we tend to run toward ruin rather than refuge.
What God intended for us, since the beginning in Eden, was simply to go to him first. We are reminded right here at the end of the Psalm what we are to do. Go to Him. Behold his face. When ruin feels truer than anything you have felt before, go to God. That is what it means by “the upright will see his face.”
His grace saves us from evil…AND sustains us in the midst of evil.
Psalm 11 shows us that taking refuge in God is righteousness.
Run, sprint to the deeper reality. We will face real, difficult, foundation shaking hardship. But God is there when we look. Look to Christ, not yourself. Ground yourself in the work of Christ, and not your own human work.
The most difficult job we have as Christians is to wake up every day and believe the gospel. To wake up every day and believe that God is our refuge and nothing else will satisfy us or give us wholeness or keep us safe like he will. The reward is God himself. So go, take refuge in God. Trust in the sufficient work of Christ.
Remember, like David did, that Ruin feels truer, but the refuge of God is the reality. So go rest in the deeper reality that God is on the throne. Are you going to run to your own mountain? Or run to the one on the throne who is the only refuge that will satisfy.
