Psalm 21:1–5
To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.
1The king shall joy in thy strength, O Lord; And in thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoice! 2Thou hast given him his heart’s desire, And hast not withholden the request of his lips. Selah. 3For thou preventest him with the blessings of goodness: Thou settest a crown of pure gold on his head. 4He asked life of thee, and thou gavest it him, Even length of days forever and ever. 5His glory is great in thy salvation: Honour and majesty hast thou laid upon him.
I recently discovered an alarming statistic, one of every two of my socks go missing.
Why can’t these couples work it out? Do they just have irreconcilable differences? Is another sock involved? Don’t these socks realize that they were made for each other?
Could there be a sock rapture with one taken while another is left behind?
I read recently that a fella took his dog to the vet, and ole Rover had been eating one sock a day. I suppose the whole pair was just too filling.
It is a great mystery why the pair gets parted; they belong together.
Psalm 20 and 21 are a pair that belong together.
In Psalm 20, the nation of Israel is praying for their king to lead them victoriously in an upcoming battle.
In Psalm 21, the nation gives thanks that the prayer has been answered.
Notice how these Psalms pair perfectly.
Psalm 20 ends with a request for the Lord to save them in battle and the king to hear.
Psalm 20:9 Save, Lord: Let the king hear us when we call.
Psalm 21 begins by telling us that it happened.
Psalm 21:1–2 1The king shall joy in thy strength, O Lord; And in thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoice! 2Thou hast given him his heart’s desire, And hast not withholden the request of his lips. Selah.
In the previous Psalm they ask the Lord to grant their king’s desire and answer his prayers.
Psalm 20:4–5 4Grant thee according to thine own heart, And fulfill all thy counsel. 5We will rejoice in thy salvation, And in the name of our God we will set up our banners: The Lord fulfil all thy petitions.
In today’s Psalm, the prayer was answered, and the desire for victory was fulfilled.
Psalm 21:2 Thou hast given him his heart’s desire, And hast not withholden the request of his lips. Selah.
The last Psalm declared that their trust was not in physical means but the spiritual power of the Lord.
Psalm 20:7 Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: But we will remember the name of the Lord our God.
In today’s Psalm, we see the king trusts in the Lord, making them immovable.
Psalm 21:7 For the king trusteth in the Lord, And through the mercy of the Most High he shall not be moved.
Yes, these Psalms are a pair not parted. The nation prayed, and after God granted their request, the people gave thanks.
Answered prayer and Thanksgiving are a perfect pair!
Can I tell you another disturbing statistic about things that belong together but for some strange reason, one goes missing?
Most answered prayers surprisingly are not followed with sincere thanksgiving!
Recently, my greatest regrets are all the blessings I took for granted. I say thanks for what I lost more than I ever did while possessing. Isn’t that sad?
I encourage you; do as I say and not as I have done. Follow the example of these psalms and not this bald-headed preacher.
Let thanksgiving stay paired with your answered prayers.
My 2021 Bible Reading Plan
February 9, 2021