Thought for the day – Psalm 21

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Psalm 21

1 For the director of music. A psalm of David.

O LORD, the king rejoices in your strength. How great is his joy in the victories you give! 2 You have granted him the desire of his heart and have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah

3 You welcomed him with rich blessings and placed a crown of pure gold on his head. 4 He asked you for life, and you gave it to him—length of days, for ever and ever. 5 Through the victories you gave, his glory is great; you have bestowed on him splendour and majesty. 6 Surely you have granted him eternal blessings and made him glad with the joy of your presence. 7 For the king trusts in the LORD; through the unfailing love of the Most High he will not be shaken.

8 Your hand will lay hold on all your enemies; your right hand will seize your foes. 9 At the time of your appearing you will make them like a fiery furnace. In his wrath the LORD will swallow them up, and his fire will consume them. 10 You will destroy their descendants from the earth, their posterity from mankind. 11 Though they plot evil against you and devise wicked schemes, they cannot succeed; 12 for you will make them turn their backs when you aim at them with drawn bow.

13 Be exalted, O LORD, in your strength; we will sing and praise your might.

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Psalm 21 – Enthusiasm, prayer & enemies

(Verses 1-7) David rejoices in God’s answers to his praying. Learn to pray more and better, by looking at how David prays.  He starts with ‘O LORD’: after confessing to God our sins (which block our prayers) and asking for God to cleanse us, we should focus on God and what He has done for us. David rejoices in God’s strength, freely states his victories come from God, records God’s answers to other prayers, and details ‘rich blessings’ from God who welcomes his prayers. God’s gifts include his position as king, his life both now and ‘for ever and ever’: God will give him eternal life by his trust in the Lord. He knows his victories, kingly glory, splendid majesty, eternal blessings, gladness and joy that God is with him, are all gifts to him from God. David ‘trusts in the LORD’. The ‘Most High’ God’s unfailing love keeps him firm and sure: ‘he will not be shaken’. Focusing on who God is and what He has done for him causes David to praise God humbly. We must pray like that, too, if we know Jesus. He bore our sins and punishment on the cross so we can know His forgiveness and new life as we receive Him. He will then answer our prayers too. Thank and praise God if you know Jesus as your Saviour.

(Verses 8-12) reveal the ongoing conflict between David and God’s enemies, who are also David’s foes. Learn how to fight our ‘spiritual enemies’. They are the things and influences in our lives that promote wrong, displease God, block our prayers, cause us not to trust and obey the Lord Jesus, and often hurt others. David looks at his foes through His Lord. Enemies, problems, temptations, and trials all seem much smaller if you see them through the character and strength of your Saviour, who is completely on your side. David states that God will beat his enemies and their supporters. Their evil plots, schemes, and plans cannot block our sovereign God’s will. He will beat them. When you face hard ‘enemies’ look at them with your mighty Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ always in your mind. He is much stronger!

(Verse 13) David now desires to exalt God by singing and praising his mighty LORD.