Thursday 26th May

Psalm 21:7  
“For the king trusts in the Lord; through the unfailing love of the Most High he will not be shaken.”

Verse 7 ends this part of the psalm and rounds off our brief study of Psalm 21. It ends appropriately by summarising the relationship between God and his king. 

First, notice here that it is a current and continuing relationship of faith, “the king trusts in the Lord.” This is not some relationship gone cold, but one that’s living and vibrant, it is a daily walk with the Lord. Unlike many who entered a relationship with Jesus once upon a time having put their hand up at a rally who are now pinning their hope on “a faith” gone cold without any assurance that is was ever genuine, David the king is in a living relationship with the Lord.

That brings an assurance and a practical outworking in day to day life. Through God’s unfailing love he will not be shaken. In all the challenges and dangers faced as God’s king he may rest assured that God ultimately will not let him fall. He is secure in a loving relationship and those themes of love and security are clarified a bit by alternative words used in other translations of the bible. The English Standard Version for example talks about the steadfast love of Lord; steadfast is a word that suggest unshakable, unmovable even in storms and those familiar with the Boys’ Brigade will think immediately of the BB motto “Sure and Stedfast”  taken from Hebrews 6:19 (AV). Another translation speaks of the loving kindness of the Lord. Whatever may befall him David then is secure in this living relationship of faith with the Most High.

​The commentator John Goldingay in fact suggests that David’s ongoing trust is the result of God’s deliverance. God has proved his faithfulness! Faith itself is a gift of God.  Take time to maintain your relationship with the Jesus the Lord. Like any friendship when there is no ongoing contact between the parties it will wither and die. It’s amazing how things you’ve forgotten a long time ago suddenly come to mind as just now with this old hymn “Take time to be holy, speak oft with thy Lord; Abide in Him always, and feed on His Word. Make friends of God's children; help those who are weak, forgetting in nothing His blessing to seek.”  Its language is more than a wee bit century before last (and no I wasn’t around when it was written) but it makes a point. As far as it depends on you don’t let your relationship with Jesus die for it won’t happen from his side.

PRAY
Today give thanks to God for his steadfast love, and thank him for specific times when he has held you firmly. Pray that by his Spirit he will strengthen your faith day by day, and pray for power to live for him.

LISTEN