Trusting in the True King

Yael Eckstein  |  June 21, 2026

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

We start out every week with an inspirational lesson from the beloved Psalms. For centuries, these ancient poems of King David and others have been the foundation for Jewish and Christian worship. Enjoy!

Have you ever met a famous celebrity? For most people, meeting someone famous is a highlight of their lives. They’ll take pictures, tell all their friends, and most of all, they’ll be thrilled by the encounter. But is this reaction really warranted most of the time? Why are we excited to meet celebrities?

Celebrity culture is built into human nature. At a deeper level, we all search for role models and for individuals who exemplify traits that we admire. So if we value aesthetic beauty, we may be enamored of beautiful movie stars. For others, meeting someone powerful or wealthy is a meaningful experience. We all want to be close to those people who represent what we value most.

The truth of this idea lies at the heart of the biblical concept of the king. A brief glance at the biblical description of the king of Israel in Deuteronomy chapter 17 shows that the king was not all-powerful. He was subject to the same laws as everyone else. He wasn’t the judge or legislator. He wasn’t the high priest. So what does the biblically ordained king represent?

Psalm 21 is all about the ideal king’s relationship to God. The Psalm opens, “The king rejoices in your strength, LORD. How great is his joy in the victories you give! (v.1). Then a few verses later, we read, “For the king trusts in the LORD; through the unfailing love of the Most High he will not be shaken” (v.7).

Rather than being an all-powerful despot, the king of Israel was the shining example of faith for the entire nation: “The king rejoices in Your strength, LORD.” He didn’t rejoice in his own strength, but in the strength of God. The king attributed his successes to God.

While living under a king is not something most of us long for or even fully understand, the Bible tells us that there is a role for a leader who sets the tone for the people. As king, he sets an example for the entire nation to follow. And as we read in these verses, the true role of the king is complete faith in God and gratitude to Him for all our successes.

Now that’s a celebrity I can get excited about!

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