But I will sing of your strength;
Psalms 59:16-17 (ESV)
I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning.
For you have been to me a fortress
and a refuge in the day of my distress.
O my Strength, I will sing praises to you,
for you, O God, are my fortress,
the God who shows me steadfast love.
This psalm was written during a time when King Saul was trying to kill David. He was on the run, not just from Saul, but apparently, other enemies were also seeking his life. It was a hard time, and he cried out to God for deliverance.
But at the end of the psalm are these two verses—an expression of praise and trust in the God who saves. Amid all the danger and turmoil he was facing, he knew that God had his back. God was his fortress—a refuge in the day of his distress.
Compared to all that David experienced throughout his life, my life is pretty mellow. I have never had an enemy seeking my life, and, indeed, have experienced little conflict in my life. I have always had shelter, plenty of food to eat, and clothes to wear.
But even though my personal experience is unlike David’s, the world around me is in turmoil and, it appears to me, only getting worse. It would be easy to respond in despair. But, like David, I know the one I have committed my life to, and I know that whatever may come, he is more than sufficient to see me through it. He is my refuge and fortress. And, like David, I can sing aloud of the Lord’s steadfast love for me each day.
