This is still another very good Psalm that demonstrates that we who take refuge in the Lord will not be put to shame. The Lord sees, the Lord rules. He brings tests upon the righteous, but He hates the wicked and the one who does violence.
Hear that, abusers?
Psalm 11:1-7 To the choirmaster. Of David. 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 bend 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?” (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.
***
UPDATE Sept 2021: I have come to believe that Jeff Crippen does not practise what he preaches. He vilely persecuted an abuse victim and spiritually abused many other people in the Tillamook congregation. Go here to read the evidence. Jeff has not gone to the people that he spiritually and emotionally abused. He has not apologised to them, let alone asked for their forgiveness.
A Cry For Justice 
Jeff, I doubt the abusers were listening, but I can never get enough of the beauty of the Psalms. The Lord tests the righteous–but the wicked– well I wouldn’t want His wrath when I am called home.
I feel resentful that my soon to be ex abuser husband has seemed to paid no price for anything he did to me. I have had to piece together my life and can barely function still due to the emotional abuse
Jenna, if it means anything, you’re still in a better place than your stbx. Your life has the potential of moving upward and forward, with God’s healing and gentle guiding hands, while it’s all downhill for him, at least where it counts, spiritually. He may not have seemed to pay a price but be assured he has lost favor with God and does not have God’s presence to guide him. That’s a pretty scary place to be in.
When I complain about this very same thing to some of my wise Christian friends they remind me that I am so much better off than my ex. I have the peace of knowing that my future is in God’s hands. I have eternal life through Jesus Christ!!! Amen!! I’d never trade what I have for what he has. He may have the approval of man, but I have the approval of God (through Christ). He may have earthly riches that I will never have, but I have heavenly treasures stored up and waiting for me. What he has will ROT. What I have will last for eternity. He may have fooled a lot of people into believing he’s the innocent party, but I have the true, pure, and innocent love and trust of my children, and others. (He is not truly by anyone because he is not truly known by anyone). He may have tons of knowledge and skill in manipulating and controlling others, but I have spiritual knowledge, wisdom, and understanding given by God through His Spirit and His Word. What I have may not seem like much to the world, but it’s EVERYTHING that ever mattered and it’s what will last and it’s what God gives to those who love and obey Him.
Amen, fifty, Amen.
Amen and amen!
WHEN?! When will the abused be vindicated? For five years I gave waited for coals to be rained on the abuser who brainwashed and robbed me and continues to get away with it. I don’t understand why the Lord allows it to continue, and my hope is slipping away. This and so many Psalms speak of the Lord punishing the wicked, but I don’t see it.
Jenna and Psalm 37. I don’t know. I don’t know when He will vindicate you and rain coals of fire on the abusers’ heads. But I do know with certainty that He will do it in the end, when the whole universe is rolled up like a scroll and we all appear before him, those who are washed in the blood of the lamb to righteousness and eternal life, and those who are outside the kingdom to the lake of fire where there will be weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth.
For any individual person there may (or may not) be foretastes of this vindication or judgement before the Great Day, but we cannot predict how when and where those foretastes might happen. That’s not much encouragement in the medium term, I know, but I think that’s what Scripture teaches. Those who say that scripture promises us complete restoration and justice in this earthly life are teaching myth (Word of Faith and such-like errors), they are not teaching not balanced scriptural truth.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but that’s my understanding.
And tell me “Ouch, that only hurt more, it didn’t help at all!” if that’s how you feel.
How timely! Just been meditating on this psalm myself over the last few days. Psalms like these are not the easiest thing in the Bible to read, because it just goes against our grain to pray destruction over others. We like to think that if we pray for God’s mercy, maybe something will change. And certainly that is mostly the case. But there are times where the cost of damage to the innocent outweighs anything else, and removal of the wicked is the best solution. As Ps 11:3 says, If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do? This other verse also refers to a similar theme: “For the scepter of the wicked shall not rest on the land allotted to the righteous, lest the righteous stretch out their hands to do wrong.” (Ps 125:3).
My abusive narcissistic soon to be ex husband caused me severe PTSD and emotional abuse and I still cry every day for months for god to help me. I am angry I gave to be divorced and I had to literally sleep on the floor for months after I left. I had a bad back injury and no income and he still had his comfy bed with his new trashy gf and his pension and his job and I had nothing left except a few family members. When do the wicked pay for emotional and sexual abuse.? Why am I the one suffering? I am the Christian.
Jenna I am so sorry you have suffered and are still suffering this. You are amazing to have somehow managed to keep body and soul together in the face of such pain and privation and desolation.
Does Psalm 73 speak to you at all? It spoke to me when my ex hurt our daughter, but what speaks to us from Scripture is very personal for each of us, isn’t it?
UPDATE Sept 2021: I have come to believe that Jeff Crippen does not practise what he preaches. He vilely persecuted an abuse victim and spiritually abused many other people in the Tillamook congregation. Go here to read the evidence. Jeff has not gone to the people that he spiritually and emotionally abused. He has not apologised to them, let alone asked for their forgiveness.
***
And Jeff C and I have been on the same wavelength because he just posted Ps 73 as an evening post.