DECEMBER 23, 2023 Psalm 22:3-5 But You are holy, enthroned in the praises of Israel. Our fathers trusted in You; they trusted, and You delivered them. They cried to You, and were delivered; they trusted in You, and were not ashamed. This statement — “But You are holy” — coming on the heels of what seems to be […]
DECEMBER 22, 2023 Psalm 22:1-2 My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? Why are You so far from helping Me, and from the words of My groaning? O My God, I cry in the daytime, but You do not hear; and in the night season, and am not silent. In the previous devotion we mentioned that […]
DECEMBER 20, 2023 Psalm 21:8-11 Your hand will find all Your enemies; Your right hand will find those who hate You. You shall make them as a fiery oven in the time of Your anger; the Lord shall swallow them up in His wrath, and the fire shall devour them. Their offspring You shall destroy from the […]
DECEMBER 21, 2023 Psalm 22:1-2 My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? Why are You so far from helping Me, and from the words of My groaning? O My God, I cry in the daytime, but You do not hear; and in the night season, and am not silent. In Jewish commentary, much is made over […]
DECEMBER 19, 2023 Psalm 21:3-6 You meet him with the blessings of goodness; You set a crown of pure gold upon his head. He asked life from You, and You gave it to him—length of days forever and ever. His glory is great in Your salvation; honor and majesty You have placed upon him. For You have made him most blessed […]
DECEMBER 18, 2023
Psalm 21:1-2
The king shall have joy in Your strength, O Lord; and in Your salvation how greatly shall he rejoice! You have given him his heart’s desire, and have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah.
In the previous devotion, we shared the idea that David's words recorded in this psalm are prophetic, ultimately speaking of the Messiah — and if you can receive it — “quoting” the Messiah to a degree. In that light, take note of the statement, “You have given him his heart’s desire” — it is phrased in such a way that we may conclude the prayer has already been answered. To be clear: if David is expressing the words of Messiah in the form of prophecy, then the desire of Messiah's heart had already been granted, long before He ministered on the earth. If that is true then might it be that, when we pray according to the Will of God, it is the same? In others words, if we are His, will He not grant the request of our lips? John seemed to think so:
“Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.” (1 John 5:14-15).
Messiah, also, speaks to this issue; He said, “If his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!” (Matthew 7:9-11). The point, obviously, is that our Heavenly Father desires to answer our prayers, sometimes even before we ask; as it is written, “It shall come to pass that before they call, I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear” (Isaiah 65:24).
It is important to point out, however, that even though He already knows what's going on in our life, He wants us to pray. He knows what's swirling around in our heart, but still wants us to use our mouth and lips to utter our prayers and petitions. I would suggest that prayer, among other things, is the most intimate of ways we can interact with the Creator, meaning, that it is how we can grow in intimacy with Him. Like any parent, He doesn't want His children to take His unlimited goodness for granted; He wants to have a relationship with us whereby, even though He knows our heart's desire, He wants us to come to Him and lay it before Him. In short, He doesn't interfere with an answer when we are motivated to humble ourselves before Him. It may be as good as done, but it is even better to know that when we call, He recognizes our voice and moves quickly on our behalf.
DECEMBER 17, 2023 Psalm 21:1-2 The king shall have joy in Your strength, O Lord; and in Your salvation how greatly shall he rejoice! You have given him his heart’s desire, and have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah. In rabbinical literature, it is believed that this particular psalm speaks of two kings — David, and […]
DECEMBER 16, 2023 Psalm 20:7-9 Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; but we will remember the name of the Lord our God. They have bowed down and fallen; but we have risen and stand upright. Save, Lord! May the King answer us when we call. Through the ages, nations have depended upon financial and military might to thrive, to […]
DECEMBER 15, 2023 Psalm 20:5-6 We will rejoice in your salvation, and in the name of our God we will set up our banners May the Lord fulfill all your petitions. Now I know that the Lord saves His anointed; He will answer him from His holy heaven with the saving strength of His right hand. In times of war, armies typically […]
DECEMBER 14, 2023 Psalm 20:3-4 May He remember all your offerings, and accept your burnt sacrifice. Selah. May He grant you according to your heart’s desire, and fulfill all your purpose. In Judaism it is believed that, in the days of the Sanctuary, when Israel was poised to go to war, special offerings were presented for the purpose of […]
