In July last year, a badly injured man was rescued from a remote mining camp in Alaska. A bear had attacked him and had returned every night for a week before he was eventually rescued. In this psalm the writer describes similar recurrent night terrors, like ‘snarling dogs’ returning at evening (vs 6,14). This is the experience today, for example, of victims of domestic abuse, and people living in areas blighted by anti-social behaviour or war.

For some of us, the ‘snarling dogs’ come in the form of crippling fear and anxiety, dark thoughts and intense loneliness. But, to answer the dogs, another refrain returns regularly and intentionally (vs 9,17). God is our strength and our fortress, our loving God (v 16). 

This psalm contains a thought that is common in the Old Testament. Evil ultimately destroys itself. This is expressed as a prayer (vs 12,13), but it is just a question of time. Things that terrify me are laughable to God (v 8). The refrain reminds us, God is ‘my fortress’, my loving God. To this secure fortress we can go to watch for him to act (v 9), and to praise him (v 17). 

‘When you’re between a rock and a hard place, it won’t be a dead end – Because I am God, your personal God, The Holy of Israel, your Saviour.’¹

The context of today’s psalm is David’s difficult in-between years – after being anointed by Samuel but before being crowned king. He didn’t yet enjoy the security of a fortress for, as the superscription reveals, Saul was bent on destroying him and David wasn’t even safe in his own home! Hemmed in by threats on his life, David’s response is not to seek a safe house or military stronghold but to turn to a safe person. The psalm begins with a plea that God would be his fortress (v 1) and ends with the confident affirmation that God is indeed his fortress (vs 16,17). 

David’s life was in danger (vs 1–4). In a twice-repeated refrain, he compares his enemies to a pack of wild dogs: they growl, prowl and howl (vs 6,7,14,15)! The ‘but’ of verse 8 is a crucial hinge-point: ‘But you laugh at them, Lord; you scoff at all those nations’ (v 8).² 

In this second section of the psalm, although threats haven’t dissolved and foes remain undefeated, despair gives way to a strong note of hope. Adopting God’s perspective sends David’s confidence soaring: not only will enemy attacks fail, God’s justice will prevail (vs 10b–13). 

Times are bad when Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy first step into Narnia, for it is ‘always winter and never Christmas’. Yet, just hearing that ‘Aslan is on the move’ inspires courage, hope and joy, even though it is still winter.³ As the story progresses, the children observe signs that winter is melting away into spring. In our psalm, the knowledge that God is on the move, ever-present, in control and at work fuels David’s determination to ‘watch’ expectantly (v 9) and leads to joyful and grateful confidence that God will indeed act (vs 16,17).

During the coming week, practise affirming gratefully, confidently, joyfully: ‘Whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say, “It is well, it is well with my soul!”’⁴

¹ Isa 43:3,4, The Message  ² Cf Ps 2:4  ³ CS Lewis, Chronicles of Narnia, Harper Collins, p118, p141  ⁴ H Spafford, ‘When Peace Like a River’, 1873