After two grueling 10+ hour flights, I arrived in India about 2 am. A driver met me at the airport and drove me to my hotel. We started to unload, but between the van and the hotel doors a pair of mangy dogs snarled and snapped and lunged at each other. I looked at the driver. He shrugged and cut a wide berth around the dogs as he carried my bag into the lobby. I staggered behind. A local guide always proves invaluable.

Before he became king, David ran from assassins sent by King Saul to end his life. David pleaded to the Lord:

I have done no wrong, yet they are ready to attack me. Arise to help me; look on my plight!…They return at evening, snarling like dogs, and prowl around the city.

David eluded the assassins by climbing out a window and fleeing Jerusalem. He lived as a fugitive until the death of Saul. But even in the midst of heavy oppression, David turned to the Lord:

I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble. You are my strength, I sing praise to you; you, God, are my fortress, my God on whom I can rely.

David’s lament turned into a song of confidence. The Lord scattered his snarling enemies and provided a refuge. That night in India I relaxed as I entered the hotel, knowing the dog fight remained outside. In a similar, but much more profound way those who follow the Lord can relax and find rest in the fortress of his strength.

Psalm 59 in Through the Bible in 2024

Photo by Tadeusz Lakota