“Refusing to be intimidated”

By Rev. Michael Stonhouse

Meditation – Tuesday, July 11, 2023

Psalm 11 (Forward, p. 74) CEV p. 560

Here King David joins the ranks of the many people throughout history, Biblical history and otherwise, who refused to be intimidated by rumours or warnings of doom and gloom. Gideon, for instance, could have been swayed by the unbalance of his forces, some 32,000 in total, over against those of his enemy which numbered in the 100s of thousands (see Judges 7) or Nehemiah refused to be cowered or intimidated by the threats Israel’s enemies were making against them (see Nehemiah 4:12-15) and the apostle Paul refused to alter his plans just because of dire warnings about his upcoming fate (Acts 21:10-14). In each case, the person in question was resolved simply to trust in the Lord and not worry about anything else.

That is exactly what we see in today’s psalm. Some people are saying to David, “Watch out! Those evil people have put their arrows on their bows, and they are standing in the shadows, aiming at good people. What can an honest person do when everything crumbles” (verses 2-3). In fact, they are counselling him to turn tail, to ‘escape like a bird to the mountains’.

But notice two things here, two things of significance. One is that his attackers are stealthy, secretive: they attack from secret places, places where they won’t be seen, much less made aware of. Certainly, that seems to be quite true today as well. We often just don’t know where the attacks will come from; they seem to come from nowhere or from ‘out of the blue.’ And yes, sometimes it seems as if ‘everything is crumbling’.

Even so, David refuses to be intimidated and goes on trusting in the Lord. As far as he is concerned, nothing has changed. God is still on His throne and still in charge. He knows everything that is going on, and, while He may indeed test His own people, He will always do what is right, protect His own people and punish the wicked. All of their plans will backfire, will ‘blow up’, as it were, ‘in their faces.’ And so, there is no reason to be intimidated. God will indeed come through for us. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Forward notes: “For the Lord is righteous; he delights in righteous deeds; and the just shall see his face” (verse 8).

Commemoration: Benedict of Nursia

“Today, we commemorate Benedict of Nursia, a man who delighted in righteous deeds. Benedict is considered the father of Western monasticism. He established a monastic rule that has influenced many Anglican religious orders and been studied by historians, religious people, and others.

“Despite being very demanding, the Rule of Saint Benedict is considered more humane than others. One of Benedict’s most remarkable rules relates to hospitality—how guests should be received as if they were Christ himself. Simply put, this rule is about loving our neighbour just as God taught us. If we see Christ in others, we can only receive them with admiration, love, and devotion.

“Benedict was a righteous man. By doing much good and loving his neighbor, he was a living example of what it means to abide by God’s commandments.”

Moving Forward: “Are there rules in your life, formal or informal, that help you get closer to God?”