Reflections From the Psalms
In the Lord put I my trust: how say ye to my soul, Flee as a bird to your mountain? (Ps. 11:1)
When we find ourselves in a situation that makes us unhappy, or one in which we are suffering, it is only natural to want to FLEE the situation. And there can be times when it is the will of God to remove oneself from a destructive situation. But there is one thing we cannot escape, no matter where we might flee: Ourselves. For, “The Lord trieth the righteous.” (Ps. 11:5) We may also be where God wants us.
There are always two levels – one is the outward circumstance in which we find ourselves. The other is our inward life – which reacts to the outward circumstances. However, even the inward life can be divided into two parts within the believer. We have our natural man. But Christ is in us. God wants our faith in be in Christ. He is to be our life. And if He is, then Christ will govern us – He will govern both our inward natural man and any outward circumstances.
What this means is that Jesus Christ – the One who dwells in us, but is other than ourselves – Jesus Christ is God’s way of escape. Perhaps not physically – but Christ is the Way of escape in that if we are living in and out from Him, we can be free from the rule and tyranny of our circumstances, and from our natural man. This doesn’t mean we won’t FEEL, or we won’t REACT, or we won’t CARE. It simply means we won’t be governed by those things – but instead, will be governed by faith in HIM. Indeed, if we are wondering why God doesn’t change our circumstances, He is likely seeking to change us with those circumstances. We don’t need to flee like a bird into a mountain. Christ is our hiding place right where we are today.