◄ What Does Psalm 21:1 Mean? ►

O LORD, in Your strength the king will be glad, And in Your salvation how greatly he will rejoice!

Psalm 21:1(NASB)

Verse of the Day

Psalms are often considered to be a collection of religious writings which give comfort in times of loss, help in times of need, or encouragement in times of difficulty. They are often read as a morning devotion or used to motivate a believer's prayer life.

Whole sections can be read to lift one's spirit, while individual verses may prompt us into singing songs of praise. There are even times when psalms are recited as a heartfelt lament from deep within or as a tool to rout the enemies of our soul who surround us daily.

However, there is much more than devotional value in the book of Psalms. They contain a wealth of history and cover a multiplicity of life principles. They cover important doctrinal issues and are one of God's prominent tools to point to Jesus; man's Redeemer and Israel's Messiah.

There are many Messianic psalms which prophecy of critical events during Christ's earthly life, speak into the life and times in which we live, and delineating future events, which are yet to take place. The Psalms are often quoted by the apostles and prophets of the New Testament to re-establish biblical truth, or to show that the past predicts the future while the future proves the past.

The Psalms point to the existence and attributes of God. They touch on issues such as the Triunity of the Godhead and the role of the second person of the Trinity in God's redemptive programme. They touch on judgement and punishment, virtue and divine protection, sin and blessings, promises and warnings. They speak of the hope of the Resurrection and the certainty of an eternal heaven and everlasting hell.

The Psalms leave us in no doubt of the importance of God's Word and the truths it contains; its purity, its perfection, its authority, and its eternal nature. They appeal to the most intellectual minds and yet delight the youngest of children. They expose the lowest depths to which the human soul can sink, yet soar on the wings of an eagle to the heights of intimacy in our intercourse with our Saviour. The book of Psalms gives us with some of the most beautifully written discourses known to man.

This Psalm is no exception and covers many important biblical themes, promises, and truths. The Psalmist is David, the shepherd king of Israel, who rejoices that his hope and strength in the Lord. He expresses delight that God has given him victory over his foes: "The king rejoices in Your strength, O LORD. How greatly he rejoices in Your deliverance. In Your salvation how greatly we rejoice!"

In the previous Psalm, the Lord had promised to hear and answer the prayers of His servant, to fight for His people, and bring them to victory over their enemies, and here we read of king's thanksgiving and overflowing joy for their great deliverance and triumph over their foe.

Not only does the Lord give Israel victory on the battlefield, but their ultimate salvation is through Christ. The great victory about which David is rejoicing is not simply related to a past historical victory but reaches into a future, worldwide deliverance, when the enemies of God will be utterly destroyed from the face of the earth, those who seek to thwart Christ's coming kingdom will retreat in terror, and the Lord God of Israel will be highly exalted in all the earth.

My Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You for the wonderful book of Psalms, the amazing truths they contain, and the wonderful lessons I can learn from reading them and meditating upon them. Teach me all that You would have me learn from the writings of Psalmists like king David, the truths I can glean about the Lord Jesus Christ, and the future prophetic words that will be fulfilled through Him. Open my understanding that I may gain an intimate knowledge and understanding of the many biblical themes, promises, protection, and truths that are contained within its pages. Thank You that You are a God Who hears and answers the prayers of Your people and delivers us from all our enemies. Thank You that victory over our enemies is ours, through Christ our Saviour, in Whose name I pray, AMEN.