There are some psalms in which a liturgical setting can be detected, and Psalm 20 is one of these. Although we don’t know the exact details there seems to be an interplay here between a priestly group and the king. The psalm opens with a declaration of blessing on the endeavours of the king. This should, therefore, not be understood as an open promise that God will give us everything that we want and make all our individual dreams come true. The blessing here is designed for one, in this case the king, who sets out to establish God’s Kingdom. God wants to bless us individually. But to be truly blessed we must step up into his purpose. The promises of God apply for the purpose of God. And that purpose cannot be thwarted. The response of the king follows the declaration of blessing and it is a response of solid confidence in God’s blessing. That’s how we should live our lives. Imagine that, rather than being preoccupied with what you want from your everyday activities, you focus on what God wants. Imagine praying for God to make you a blessing wherever you are and asking him to work through you in the lives of others. Imagine going into your everyday occupations focused on seeing God at work and anticipating God’s blessing. This can be your reality. The king that this blessing is given to, ultimately, is Jesus Christ. And through Jesus Christ they are given to you. If he is your king and if his purpose is your purpose, then you can expect his blessing to be on everything you do.
Pray for God’s purpose to be realised through you and ask him to bless you in all you do.
Read Psalm 20
