“How the king rejoices in your strength, O Lord! He shouts with joy because you give him victory. For you have given him his heart’s desire; you have withheld nothing he requested. Interlude You welcomed him back with success and prosperity. You placed a crown of finest gold on his head. He asked you to preserve his life, and you granted his request. The days of his life stretch on forever. Your victory brings him great honor, and you have clothed him with splendor and majesty. You have endowed him with eternal blessings and given him the joy of your presence. For the king trusts in the Lord. The unfailing love of the Most High will keep him from stumbling. You will capture all your enemies. Your strong right hand will seize all who hate you. You will throw them in a flaming furnace when you appear. The Lord will consume them in his anger; fire will devour them. You will wipe their children from the face of the earth; they will never have descendants. Although they plot against you, their evil schemes will never succeed. For they will turn and run when they see your arrows aimed at them. Rise up, O Lord, in all your power. With music and singing we celebrate your mighty acts.”
Psalms 21:1-13 NLT
Why do we take joy? For many our emotions are excited and activated by our accolades. However, this is not the case for David. He makes quick mention of the fact that he has been given his hearts desires and been blessed with important things like long life and military victories. However, he is clear to emphasize these things as an outworking of a larger truth. This truth is that God has given these things to him. David notes that it is a good thing to be in God’s favor. It bring immeasurable blessings. On the other hand, it is a terrible thing to be out of his favor. This is like being targeted by a being who never sleeps and always knows your whereabouts. David’s statement of joy has to do with God’s favor upon him. He recognizes that he is a demonstrably coveted position and that it is not because of his own doing that he has attained such status. Furthermore, he shows us that we can boast about God’s greatness without being pretentious. It is possible to love being loved by God in a way that is humble and useful. Too many well meaning believers try to be humble but end up as pious when they refuse to bring attention to God’s goodness. David shows us that there is a right way to enjoy being loved by God. We should take it and allow others to enjoy being loved by him as well.
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