Psalm 21 – Praise to the Lord for Victory

I seem to have used up my creativity in poetry this week and couldn’t think of a clever way to choose a Psalm, so again I’m just going in order of the next Psalm that I’ve never posted before. And that is Psalm 21. This is an awesome Psalm of David in praise for the blessings and victory He has granted to David as King. But it works as a prayer of praise for all believers. As verse 4 says, we have asked the Lord for life, and He has given it to us. Verse 6 reminds us that He has granted “eternal blessings” and that we can rejoice in being able to enjoy His presence in our lives.

Sometimes Psalm passages like verses 8-12 are hard to comprehend, because we don’t like to think of God as being angry and consuming people with fire. But when we remember that God knows the heart of every man and that this fate is reserved for His enemies, those who plot evil, then such passages are easier to understand and even bring comfort as they did to David.

Psalm 21

    For the director of music. A psalm of David.

 ¹ 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 splendor 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.