Psalm 59:16-17
But I will sing of thy might;
I will sing aloud of thy steadfast love in the morning.
For thou hast been to me a fortress
and a refuge in the day of my distress.
O my Strength, I will sing praises to thee,
for thou, O God, art my fortress,
the God who shows me steadfast love.Notice what moved David so deeply to sing : the might and mercy of God which come together to make a fortress and refuge for his life. He says it twice. In verse 16 "I sing your might . . . I sing of your mercy." ("Steadfast love" is just another way of saying "mercy.") And the reason the might and mercy of God are so precious to David is that they come together to make a fortress—"For thou has been to me a fortress!"
Then he says the same thing again in verse 17 so we don't miss the point of his praise. First, he praises God his Strength, his might. ("O my Strength, I will sing praises to thee.") Then, in the last line he mentions God's mercy (" . . . the God who shows me steadfast love"), and between the two, he sets his eyes on the fortress ("for thou, O God, art my fortress").
So the contours and colours of these verses are clear: he is singing the might and mercy of God because they conspire to make fortress and refuge for his life.
I so identify with David in his song. That is the story of my life - simply His might and mercy coming together to be a fortress for my heaith, my ministry, my marriage, my children, my life all these forty nine years.
Today, I just am overwhelmed with gratitude. I sang aloud this morning:
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided
Great is Thy Faithfulness, Lord unto me.I am the product of His mercies. I don't deserve to be so blessed and so provided for and I am truly overwhelmed by the flood of His might and mercy that forms such a fortress over my life. And I am so assured of the future for His mercies never fail. They are still new every morning.
Thank you LORD!
