God Speaks
21 For the choir director: A psalm of David.
1 How the king rejoices in your strength, O Lord!
He shouts with joy because you give him victory.
2 For you have given him his heart’s desire;
you have withheld nothing he requested. Interlude
3 You welcomed him back with success and prosperity.
You placed a crown of finest gold on his head.
4 He asked you to preserve his life,
and you granted his request.
The days of his life stretch on forever.
5 Your victory brings him great honor,
and you have clothed him with splendor and majesty.
6 You have endowed him with eternal blessings
and given him the joy of your presence.
7 For the king trusts in the Lord.
The unfailing love of the Most High will keep him from stumbling.
8 You will capture all your enemies.
Your strong right hand will seize all who hate you.
9 You will throw them in a flaming furnace
when you appear.
The Lord will consume them in his anger;
fire will devour them.
10 You will wipe their children from the face of the earth;
they will never have descendants.
11 Although they plot against you,
their evil schemes will never succeed.
12 For they will turn and run
when they see your arrows aimed at them.
13 Rise up, O Lord, in all your power.
With music and singing we celebrate your mighty acts.
22 For the choir director: A psalm of David, to be sung to the tune “Doe of the Dawn.”
1 My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?
Why are you so far away when I groan for help?
2 Every day I call to you, my God, but you do not answer.
Every night I lift my voice, but I find no relief.
3 Yet you are holy,
enthroned on the praises of Israel.
4 Our ancestors trusted in you,
and you rescued them.
5 They cried out to you and were saved.
They trusted in you and were never disgraced.
6 But I am a worm and not a man.
I am scorned and despised by all!
7 Everyone who sees me mocks me.
They sneer and shake their heads, saying,
8 “Is this the one who relies on the Lord?
Then let the Lord save him!
If the Lord loves him so much,
let the Lord rescue him!”
9 Yet you brought me safely from my mother’s womb
and led me to trust you at my mother’s breast.
10 I was thrust into your arms at my birth.
You have been my God from the moment I was born.
11 Do not stay so far from me,
for trouble is near,
and no one else can help me.
12 My enemies surround me like a herd of bulls;
fierce bulls of Bashan have hemmed me in!
13 Like lions they open their jaws against me,
roaring and tearing into their prey.
14 My life is poured out like water,
and all my bones are out of joint.
My heart is like wax,
melting within me.
15 My strength has dried up like sunbaked clay.
My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth.
You have laid me in the dust and left me for dead.
16 My enemies surround me like a pack of dogs;
an evil gang closes in on me.
They have pierced my hands and feet.
17 I can count all my bones.
My enemies stare at me and gloat.
18 They divide my garments among themselves
and throw dice for my clothing.
19 O Lord, do not stay far away!
You are my strength; come quickly to my aid!
20 Save me from the sword;
spare my precious life from these dogs.
21 Snatch me from the lion’s jaws
and from the horns of these wild oxen.
22 I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters.
I will praise you among your assembled people.
23 Praise the Lord, all you who fear him!
Honor him, all you descendants of Jacob!
Show him reverence, all you descendants of Israel!
24 For he has not ignored or belittled the suffering of the needy.
He has not turned his back on them,
but has listened to their cries for help.
25 I will praise you in the great assembly.
I will fulfill my vows in the presence of those who worship you.
26 The poor will eat and be satisfied.
All who seek the Lord will praise him.
Their hearts will rejoice with everlasting joy.
27 The whole earth will acknowledge the Lord and return to him.
All the families of the nations will bow down before him.
28 For royal power belongs to the Lord.
He rules all the nations.
29 Let the rich of the earth feast and worship.
Bow before him, all who are mortal,
all whose lives will end as dust.
30 Our children will also serve him.
Future generations will hear about the wonders of the Lord.
31 His righteous acts will be told to those not yet born.
They will hear about everything he has done.
Source: New Living Translation: BibleGateway.com
We Respond
Reflection: Both of these psalms gain deeper meaning when applied to the Lord Jesus Christ; however, they may also be applied when praying for others or ourselves as well. Psalm 21: Of course, the original king in this psalm is King David. The ultimate king is King Jesus, but when we mere human beings confess our sin and weakness and, in faith, claim the forgiveness and cleansing won for us by His crucifixion and resurrection, we receive all the rights and authority belonging to heirs of the King. Because of our union with Christ, we can rejoice in His strength and shout with joy over the victory He has given us. When our wills align with His, Father God will give us the desires of our hearts–far beyond the success and prosperity of this world. Because of our faith in what Christ has done for us, we will receive the crown of (eternal) life. We can ask for Him to preserve life, and He will grant our request. He will give us eternal life with Him forever. Jesus’s victory over sin and death will bring Him (and us) great honor. He and we will be clothed in splendor and majesty. Father God will endow Christ Jesus (and us because of Him) with eternal blessings and joy in the LORD’s presence forever. Our trust in the LORD’s unfailing love will keep us from stumbling. He will enable us to capture our enemies and seize all who hate us. Verses 8-13 tell what will happen when Christ returns. Psalm 22: According to the Gospels, Jesus quoted or referred to various verses or phrases of this psalm during His passion perhaps more than any other psalm. One might think that unseen forces were acting out Psalm 22 on purpose. To list just a few of the places in the New Testament where Psalm 22 in quoted or referred to: Psalm 22:1–Mark 15:34 and Matthew 27:46; Psalm 22:6, 7, 8– Matt. 27: 27-31, 39-44; Mark 15:29, 30; Luke 23:35; Psalm 22:15, 16–John 19:28, 37; Psalm 22:18–John 19: 23, 24. *
*From The Amplified Study Bible, Zondervan, 2017.
Prayer: Dear Father God, thank You for all that was accomplished on my behalf through Jesus’s crucifixion and resurrection. Thank You for uniting me with Christ, thus adopting me into Your family and giving me all the rights and privileges of Your Son. I rejoice in Your strength, O LORD! King Jesus, You are the ultimate king in Psalm 21. But when we mere human beings confess our sin and neediness and, in faith, claim the forgiveness and cleansing won for us by Your crucifixion and resurrection, we receive all the rights and authority belonging to heirs of the King. Because of our union with You, Christ Jesus, we can rejoice in Your strength and shout with joy over the victory You have given us. When our wills align with Yours, Father God, You will give us the desires of our hearts–far beyond the success and prosperity of this world. Because of our faith in what You, Christ Jesus, have done for us, we will receive the crown of (eternal) life. We can ask for You, Father, to preserve life, and You will grant our request because of Jesus. You will give us eternal life with Him forever. Jesus, Your victory over sin and death will bring You and us great honor. We along with Jesus will be clothed in splendor and majesty. You, Father God, will endow Christ Jesus (and us because of Him) with eternal blessings and joy in Your presence forever. Our trust in Your unfailing love will keep us from stumbling. You will enable us to capture our enemies and seize all who hate us. Oh, how I look forward to what will happen when Jesus returns for His faithful ones and with them. Oh, how much You suffered on my behalf, Lord Jesus. In all that You suffered, You remembered and lived out the Scriptures, especially Psalm 22. Please help me to do the same, whether I am suffering or not. Jesus, You carried out our Father’s will. Please help me to do the same. For Your glory, Lord. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, if He wants you to work on the suggestions below or something else more personal that He points out.)
- I will make a list of at least ten things Jesus accomplished by His crucifixion and resurrection, then thank Him for them.
- I will tell someone (especially someone who is not yet a part of God’s family by faith) what Jesus has done for them.
- I will show and tell a person younger in the faith what is available to them using Psalm 21.
- I will think over all Jesus went through on my behalf in Psalm 22:1-21 and take action according to verses 22-31.
Share: I plan to share what I’ve learned with __________.