Psalm 21 | Psalms Reflection

Psalm 21 — Come Back

I’ve noticed something about my prayer life.

I can be incredibly detailed when I need something from God.

When there’s a problem, I can give the Lord a complete briefing. Background information. Supporting documentation. Possible outcomes. People involved. Deadlines. And, occasionally, a few suggestions about how He might want to handle the situation.

“Lord, here’s what’s happening. Here’s what I need. Here’s when I need it. And while I certainly don’t want to tell You how to run the universe, I have put together a few thoughts.”

But then God answers.

“Thanks, Lord.”

And off I go.

It seems that sometimes my prayers for help are considerably longer than my prayers of thanksgiving.

Maybe that’s one reason Psalm 21 is here.

Psalm 20 was a prayer before the battle.

“May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble.”

“May He send you help.”

“May He grant you according to your heart’s desire.”

The people prayed for their king. They asked God to protect him, strengthen him, and give him victory.

And then comes Psalm 21.

The battle has passed.

The prayer has been answered.

And David comes back.

“The king shall have joy in Your strength, O LORD;
And in Your salvation how greatly shall he rejoice!”

Psalm 20 says, “Lord, please.”

Psalm 21 says, “Lord, You did.”

And that makes me think about ten desperate men who encountered Jesus.

They were lepers.

They lived outside the community, separated from family, friends, worship, touch, and ordinary life. When they saw Jesus, they stood at a distance and cried out:

“Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”

They knew how to pray when they needed something.

And Jesus answered.

He told them to go show themselves to the priests, and Luke tells us that as they went, they were cleansed.

Ten men asked.

Ten men received.

But only one man came back.

Luke says that when he realized he had been healed, he turned around, praising God with a loud voice, fell at the feet of Jesus, and thanked Him.

And Jesus asked the haunting question:

“Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine?”

I wonder how often I’m one of the nine.

I don't necessarily forget God.

I just move on.

The crisis passes. The pressure eases. The door opens. The provision comes. The prayer gets answered.

And yesterday’s miracle quietly becomes today’s normal.

Psalm 21 reminds us to come back.

Listen to David:

“You have given him his heart’s desire.”

“You meet him with the blessings of goodness.”

“You set a crown of pure gold upon his head.”

“You have made him exceedingly glad with Your presence.”

There’s a word that keeps appearing in this psalm.

You.

You did this.

You answered.

You provided.

You protected.

You carried me.

David may be wearing the crown, but David knows where the victory came from.

That’s important because success has a strange way of rewriting our memories.

During the battle we say, “God, I can’t do this without You.”

After the battle, we can begin thinking, “You know, I handled that pretty well.”

Psalm 21 will have none of that.

The victory belongs to the king, but the glory belongs to God.

And perhaps the heart of the psalm is found in verse 7:

“For the king trusts in the LORD,
And through the mercy of the Most High he shall not be moved.”

That word mercy carries the idea of God’s steadfast, covenant love—His hesed.

David isn't standing because David is strong.

David is standing because God is faithful.

There is a difficult section near the end of this psalm where David speaks about God defeating his enemies. Those verses can sound harsh to modern ears, but they remind us that biblical salvation isn't merely God comforting us in trouble. God ultimately confronts and defeats everything that stands against His righteous purposes.

And David’s victory points beyond David.

There would come another King.

A greater Son of David.

A King who would face an enemy none of us could defeat.

Sin.

Death.

The grave.

Jesus would wear a crown too—but before the crown of glory came a crown of thorns.

He would enter the battle on our behalf.

And on the other side of the cross, the empty tomb would declare that the battle had been won.

So Psalm 21 doesn't end with David congratulating himself.

It ends with worship:

“Be exalted, O LORD, in Your own strength!
We will sing and praise Your power.”

Maybe today you need to do something very simple.

Come back.

Come back to a prayer you prayed six months ago.

Come back to the night when you didn’t know what you were going to do.

Come back to the diagnosis that frightened you.

Come back to the financial need.

Come back to the child you prayed for.

Come back to the door you begged God to open.

Come back to the season when you weren't sure you were going to make it.

And then look at where you are now.

Maybe everything didn't turn out exactly the way you requested.

Maybe there are still battles ahead.

But somehow, through the steadfast love of God, you are still here.

Still held.

Still loved.

Still carried.

Still able to say,

“The Lord has been faithful.”

Ten lepers knew how to cry out for mercy.

Only one remembered to come back.

Psalm 20 is the cry of the ten.

Psalm 21 is the return of the one.

Somewhere between “Lord, please” and “What’s next?” there ought to be a place called praise.

Today, let's stop there for a while.

Come back.

Remember.

And give thanks.

“Be exalted, O LORD, in Your own strength!
We will sing and praise Your power.”

Amen.

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