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Daily Devotion: Psalm 21:1-3

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Psalm 21:1-3    "The king shall joy in thy strength, O LORD; and in thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoice!  (2)  Thou hast given him his heart's desire, and hast not withholden the request of his lips. Selah.  (3)  For thou preventest him with the blessings of goodness: thou settest a crown of pure gold on his head."

Do you ever find yourself knowing what you want to say, but the words seem to fail you to be able to express your thoughts?  As I read these three verses, my thoughts turn to a lofty height (not to try to sound poetic). My thoughts turn toward the very throne of God where He sits in majestic greatness.  I'm just going to say what I think now... I do not intend to offend anyone.  It seems too often that man tries to bring God down to our level.  Even in the church, we find men trying to humanize God. At some point in our study of the Psalms, we will read that "God is not a man."  The problem with trying to humanize God is that we begin to expect Him to be in agreement with us, rather than our lives being in agreement with His Word and His will for us.

Now why am I beginning my devotion with those thoughts?  King David is writing this Psalm to the chief musician. This Psalm would be incorporated into the worship of the Lord.  Who is David expounding in this Psalm? Is it not the LORD God almighty who has blessed him beyond measure?  David has been given many victories in his life in many different types of situations.  He did not express his cunning ability, his keen eyesight, his ability to use the sling, nor any other self ability. "The king shall joy in thy strength, O LORD."  It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed. "In thy salvation (O LORD) shall he greatly rejoice!"  Lord, it is not by any decision that I have made, nor any strength of my own; rather, LORD it is only in your strength and your deliverance that I am your child.  Thy salvation is not of any works (physical, mental, or emotional) that I have done; rather it is only by your goodness.

My point this morning is that we are permitted into the family of God and into the very presence of the Lord God Almighty only, yes ONLY, by His goodness and His grace. No one is deserving to be called a child of God.  If we are left to our own ways and to our own decisions, we will love darkness more than light because darkness hides our sinful actions.  Let me repeat one more time, well in fact allow me to use God's Word to express it: "Thou preventest him with the blessings of goodness."  God draws us into His family and brings us to a place of repentance simply and purely through His goodness, grace, mercy, and love.  The crowning goodness of God's actions toward us is His absolute unconditional love whereby we can call Him ABBA, Father.  

The Love of God by Frederick M Lehman

Could we with ink the ocean fil
And were the skies of parchment made
Were every stalk on earth a quill
And every man a scribe by trade
To write the love of God above
Would drain the ocean dry
Nor could the scroll contain the whole
Though stretched from sky to sky

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