Verse Eight: Psalm 21:1

Psa 21:1 To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. The king shall have joy in Your strength, O LORD; And in Your salvation how greatly shall he rejoice! (NKJV)

(verse 8 of the 44 H1523)

It's interesting that in the NIV version of this verse, it says "the king rejoices" rather than "shall." I am not an expert by any means, so I am simply speaking from a layman's point of view here...but when I was reading this and searching out what to say about this verse, what the Lord wants to reveal here, the difference between the verbs strikes me. I think it's because it is more of a recommendation with "shall." Let me explain, "The king rejoices in..." is present, it's happening. The king is happy. But with "shall" it changes it just enough to be significant to me. It's going to happen. Have you ever had to choose to be happy about something? Maybe your heart just wasn't in it, maybe you were having a bad day or felt too tired to be excited about anything. Emotionally speaking, you're in a bad mood and you know it but there is a reason more important than yourself that motivates you to choose a better response. 

I have met a lot of people in life that don't believe you can choose your emotions. If you're sad, you're sad, etc. But this puts the person out of control, without responsibility and in the place of the victim. It's also not true. You are feeling grumpy but then lets say you walk into the next room and there is a cute little kitten playing and its just altogether comical, you feel at least a little bit better. It might even be enough to turn your day around entirely. Well, you can choose to dwell on something good rather than just wait for it to happen. Write down the things you have to be thankful for in life, look at fun pictures or meditate on a happy memory. Get outside, read some jokes, watch a funny show, whatever.  

I think that's what David was doing here. I have heard a lot of references to David being a sort of bi-polar guy. manically happy in one psalm and then at the bottom of the pit of despair in the next. But what if what David was doing, at least in some of these, was recalling all the reasons he had to be happy and focusing on those things instead? 

If you read the rest of Psalm 21 its thirteen verses of reason's David has to be rejoicing, all attributed to God:

• strength
• salvation
• heart's desire
• crown of pure gold
• life
• glory through God's salvation
• honor
• majesty
• mercy
• trust
• defense from enemies 

David had a lot of reasons to be down- he was under attack, he was hated, he had a huge responsibility, he messed up quite a bit. He could have easily focused on that and on the enemies in his life. Instead he looked at what God had given him, what God could do and had done and he declared that through song. I am guessing he sang it until the truth sunk in and his heart REALLY rejoiced :) simply awesome.

Psalm 21:13 Be exalted, O LORD, in Your own strength! We will sing and praise Your power. (NKJ)