The LORD examines the righteous,
    but the wicked, those who love violence,
    he hates with a passion. —Psalm 11:5

We start out every week with an inspirational lesson from the beloved Psalms. For centuries, these ancient poems of King David and others have been the foundation for Jewish and Christian worship. Enjoy!

Does it seem like the world is becoming more unstable by the day? As I travel all over the world doing the work of The Fellowship, everywhere I go I hear the same thing from so many people of faith. People are troubled. They are wondering what is going on that has made society everywhere more divided than anyone can remember.

More and more, it feels like something big is happening. At the same time, people are afraid. Whether it’s the ongoing war in Ukraine or the sharp divisions we are seeing in the culture, so many people I meet tell me that they feel like the very foundations of civilization are being shaken.

So where do we turn? How do we cope? What is our role? These are the questions that are on people’s minds in a way that we haven’t seen in decades.

God Is on the Throne

Psalm 11 teaches us, “When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do? The LORD is in his holy temple; the LORD is on his heavenly throne. He observes everyone on earth; his eyes examine them. The LORD examines the righteous, but the wicked, those who love violence, he hates with a passion.”

“When the foundations are being destroyed,” when every value that we rely on seems to be called into question, when the stability of life is shaken, we need to remind ourselves that God is still on the throne. God was on the throne before this turmoil and He’ll be on the throne when all is said and done.

Most importantly, as these verses go on to explain, we must realize that it is up to us, those who have faith in God and adhere to His Word and values. “The LORD examines the righteous,” but in the original Hebrew, the word “examines” can also mean “tests.” In other words, God is watching us closely. The fate of the world will not be determined by the behavior of the wicked.

Rather, it is the righteous who are being tested, examined, and judged. It is in our hands. So even as we find ourselves in a darkening world, we must not lose focus. God is on the throne, and all He asks of us is to do our part.

Your turn: Don’t let the headlines get you down. Ask yourself, “What can I do in my family and in my community to improve the lot of those who are needy?” “How can I bring more light to the darkness?”