My Fortress In The Night Series

Introduction: Surrounded

Imagine the scene. You are in your own home, the one place on earth you should feel safe. But as evening falls, you look out the window and see that your house is surrounded. Soldiers, sent by a jealous and powerful king, are watching every door, every window. They are a pack of predators, waiting for the sun to rise so they can rush in and kill you. There is no escape. The walls of your own home have become the walls of a prison, a death row.

This is not a thriller movie; this is the historical backdrop for Psalm 59. The title tells us David wrote this "when Saul sent, and they watched the house to kill him." On that terrifying night, trapped and facing certain death in the morning, David penned this psalm. It is a desperate prayer, a confident declaration, and a promised song. It teaches us what to do when we feel surrounded—by fear, by trouble, by opposition—and the night closes in.

I. The Threat of the Growling Dogs

1. David begins with an honest and desperate plea:

"Deliver me from mine enemies, O my God: defend me from them that rise up against me."

He does not downplay the danger. He knows these are "bloody men," the "mighty," who are gathered against him. And crucially, he states his own innocence: "not for my transgression, nor for my sin, O LORD." This is not divine discipline; this is an unjust attack.

2. He then paints a vivid picture of his enemies.

Twice in the psalm, he uses the same chilling imagery: "They return at evening: they make a noise like a dog, and go round about the city." He sees them as a pack of wild, snarling dogs—scavenging, growling, and restlessly patrolling. Their words are weapons: "they belch out with their mouth: swords are in their lips."

3. This is the first lesson for our own nights of trouble.

We must be honest with God about the threat. We can name the "dogs" that surround us—the slander, the anxiety, the pressure, the fear that patrols the borders of our mind. God is not intimidated by our enemies, and He is not put off by our honest description of the danger we face.

II. The Perspective of the Laughing God

1. Then David makes a dramatic shift.

He stops looking out at the dogs and looks up to heaven. What he sees there changes everything. In verse 8, he declares, "But thou, O LORD, shalt laugh at them; thou shalt have all the heathen in derision."

From David's perspective on the ground, the threat is overwhelming. But from God's perspective on His throne, this pack of growling dogs is laughable. Their plotting and their power are utterly pathetic compared to the God of the universe. This shift in perspective is the key to surviving the night.

2. Because David sees God's perspective, he can declare his strategy.

He looks at the enemy's strength and says, "Because of his strength will I wait upon thee: for God is my defence." The word for "defence" here is misgav in Hebrew. It means a high tower, a mountain fortress, an inaccessible refuge. David realizes that while his house is surrounded, he is spiritually dwelling in a fortress that his enemies cannot see and could never hope to breach. His job is not to fight the dogs, but to retreat into his fortress and wait for his commander to act.

III. The Promise of the Morning Song

1. The psalm ends with a glorious crescendo of promised praise.

David masterfully contrasts the activity of his enemies with his own future. They "return at evening," growling and wandering for meat, never satisfied. "But I," David declares, "will sing of thy power; yea, I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning."

2.The night belongs to the dogs, but the morning belongs to the child of God.

The sunrise represents deliverance, hope, and the faithfulness of God. While his enemies are growling with hatred, David is preparing to sing with joy. And what will be the theme of his song? God's power and God's mercy. He has experienced God's power to be his fortress, and God's mercy—His loving-kindness—that came to meet him in his trouble.

3. He concludes with a final, personal declaration.

He began by seeing the enemy's strength, but he ends by saying, "Unto thee, O my strength, will I sing." God is no longer just a source of strength; He is David's strength. He is not just a fortress; He is my fortress, my refuge, and the God of my mercy.

Conclusion: Your Song is Coming

We all have nights when we feel surrounded, when the dogs of fear and trouble are growling at the door. This psalm is our guide. Be honest with God about the threat. Then, make the crucial shift in perspective: see your problems from God's point of view and laugh with Him at their powerlessness. Retreat into the high tower of His presence, for He is your defence and your refuge.