Psalm 21 - Your Strength

David became King when he was thirty years old and he reigned for 40 years (2 Samuel 5 vs 4). Forty years is a long time to do one job and through those years David accumulated a huge range of experiences of life, and a huge range of experiences of God.

There is an autobiographical feel to Psalm 21 with David describing a king who has known great victories. However even though this king has been greatly blessed he is pictured as a king who realises that all he has comes from a higher throne. So this a king who rejoices in strength given by the LORD (vs 1), a king who has been sustained through answered prayer (vs 4) and whose victory can be attributed to the God of glory (vs 5).

The word the Bible uses for this stance before God is the word ‘humility’. Humility isn’t about pretending that we are less than we are, humility is about acknowledging that we really are small and that God really is very very big. The Bible encourages individuals to live lives of humility, reminding us that God lifts up those who are humble in heart and opposes those who are proud (Matthew 23 vs 12). 

However in Psalm 21 we also gain insight into the blessing it is for a nation to have humble leaders, who trust in the LORD, and who rely on His unfailing love. In Micah 6 vs 8 God tells us what he looks for and what he values:

‘He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
And what does the LORD require of you?

To act justly and to love mercy 

And to walk humbly with your God.’ 

It is important to pray for our leaders, locally, and nationally in these days of national emergency. What should we pray? Psalm 21 points the way. We can pray for Monarchs, Prime Ministers, Ministers in London and in Belfast, and leaders at every level in society who will be humble leaders, leaders with a small picture of who they are and a big picture of the King of Kings.

Prayer: Father, David realised that you were the one true King. We pray for all our leaders, locally and nationally. Please give us leaders in these days who act justly, who love mercy, and whose greatest desire is to walk humbly before you.