Psalm 21:1-13

Rachel Workman: 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.

As hard as it is for us to understand when God does not grant us the desires of our heart it's because it doesn't align with his will. God does grant us the desires of our hearts when they are in agreement with his will. Like any good father he wants what is best for us. Not everything we want is good for us. And not everything on this earth is about us. We (I) lose sight of that quite a bit.

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.

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John Burnett:  21 O Lord, in Your strength the king will be glad,
And in Your ^[a]salvation how greatly he will rejoice!
² You have given him his heart’s desire,
And You have not withheld the request of his lips. ^[b]Selah.
³ For You meet him with the blessings of good things;
You set a crown of fine gold on his head.
⁴ He asked life of You,
You gave it to him,
Length of days forever and ever.
⁵ His glory is great through Your ^[c]salvation,  Our glory is great through Christ’s salvation.  We are adopted sons and daughters and co-heirs with Christ and will reign with Him in the new Jerusalem.
Splendor and majesty You place upon him.
⁶ For You make him ^[d]most blessed forever;
You make him joyful with gladness in Your presence.

⁷ For the king trusts in the Lord,
And through the lovingkindness of the Most High he will not be shaken.
⁸ Your hand will find out all your enemies;
Your right hand will find out those who hate you.  The goats will be found out.
⁹ You will make them as a fiery oven in the time ^[e]of your anger;
The Lord will swallow them up in His wrath,
And fire will devour them.  Verses 9-12 are prophesy that has to make you feel good about our God.  Justice will be served and our Lord will be exalted.  They fight even though they know they will not succeed.
¹⁰ Their ^[f]offspring You will destroy from the earth,
And their ^[g]descendants from among the sons of men.
¹¹ Though they ^[h]intended evil against You
And devised a plot,
They will not succeed.
¹² For You will make them turn their back;
You will ^[i]aim with Your bowstrings at their faces.
¹³ Be exalted, O Lord, in Your strength;
We will sing and praise Your power.

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Allen Michaels:  ¹ The king rejoices in your strength, Lord.
    How great is his joy in the victories you give!

² You have granted him his heart’s desire
    and have not withheld the request of his lips.
³ You came to greet him with rich blessings
    and placed a crown of pure gold on his head.
⁴ He asked you for life, and you gave it to him—
    length of days, for ever and ever.
⁵ Through the victories you gave, his glory is great;
    you have bestowed on him splendor and majesty.
⁶ Surely you have granted him unending blessings
    and made him glad with the joy of your presence.

David described all that he had as gifts from God: “the desire of his heart,” rich blessings, a crown of pure gold, long life, splendor and majesty, eternal blessings, gladness. We too must look upon all we have – position, family, wealth, talent – as gifts from God. Only then will we use them to give glory back to Him.

⁷ For the king trusts in the Lord;
    through the unfailing love of the Most High
    he will not be shaken.

A good leader trusts the Lord and depends upon His unfailing love. Too often leaders trust in their own cleverness, popular support, or military power. But God is above all these “gods.” If you aspire to leadership, keep the Lord God at the center of your life and depend on Him. His wisdom is the best strength you can have.

⁸ Your hand will lay hold on all your enemies;
    your right hand will seize your foes.
⁹ When you appear for battle,
    you will burn them up as in a blazing furnace.
The Lord will swallow them up in his wrath,
    and his fire will consume them.
¹⁰ You will destroy their descendants from the earth,
    their posterity from mankind.
¹¹ Though they plot evil against you
    and devise wicked schemes, they cannot succeed.
¹² You will make them turn their backs
    when you aim at them with drawn bow.

¹³ Be exalted in your strength, Lord;
    we will sing and praise your might.

David teaches to look forward with faith, and hope, and prayer upon what God would further do. The success, with which God blessed David, was a type of the total overthrow of all Christ's enemies. Those who might have had Christ to rule and save them, but rejected him and fought against him, shall spend eternity in the flames of hell. God makes sinners willing by his grace, receives them to his favour, and delivers them from the wrath to come. God delights in His exalted state, as enabling Him to confer happiness and glory on poor sinners, who are taught to love and trust in him.