Psalm 21 can be broken down into two parts. In the first part, David rejoices in God for making him king. He acknowledges that his reign and riches come from God, and that without God he is nothing. In the second part of the psalm, David declares that God will seek out and destroy all His enemies. No enemy of God will escape His power.

In Psalm 20, David appears to record a prayer and blessing that his people spoke over him. The people pray for God to give David success with his goals and to protect him in days of trouble. The end of this psalm contains the people’s famous statement of faith, “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.

Psalm 19 begins with the famous words, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims His handiwork.” The creation spoke to David of God’s existence. Later in the psalm he praises God for giving men his commands, precepts, and laws, whereby men can live upright and holy lives.

Psalm 18 was written after God delivered David from the hand of King Saul, who was trying to kill him. David writes in figurative language about God’s salvation and about how God empowered him in his victories. The most famous verse in Psalm 18 is probably verse 3. It reads, “I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies.”

Psalm 17 is another plea from David to God for vindication and protection from enemies. David was trying to live an upright and righteous life, but he was surrounded by evil men who didn’t fear God. David asked God to confront them and subdue them. They only cared about the physical world. In contrast, David’s eyes were focused on life with God.

Psalm 16 is an expression of David’s confidence and satisfaction in the Lord. He expresses his confidence that God will take care of him in his earthly life and after his death. At the end of Psalm 16, David prophesies about Jesus, God’s Holy One, and His future victorious resurrection. Peter quotes from Psalm 16 in Acts 2:25-28.

In Psalm 15, David writes about those who enjoy the privilege of fellowship with God. The upright and righteous man is approved by God and will find a home in His presence. David lists a number of attributes men should strive for in order to live a goldy life.

In Psalm 14, David speaks out against those who don’t acknowledge God and live evil lies. He writes, “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’” While they refuse to acknowledge God, they live in constant fear of His reality and the support He gives to those who love Him.

In Psalm 13, David writes about his distress after a long oppression from his enemies. He is tempted to believe God has abandoned him because God’s deliverance has been so long in coming. But David did not buy into the lie that God had forgotten him. He concludes the Psalm by expressing his confidence that God will once again provide him salvation from his trouble. He concludes by saying, “I will sing to the Lord, because He has looked after me” (13:6, NASB).

David is discouraged by the lack of upright men and the abundance of wicked men in the world. He specifically mentions the prevalence of liars and men whose words have malicious motives. He calls on God to punish these evil men and protect those victimized by them.

In Psalm 11, David finds himself in a troubling situation with his adversaries. His advisors encourage him to “flee like a bird” to safety, but David’s trust is in the Lord. He stands his ground and cries out to the Lord deliverance.

The psalmist begins Psalm 10 expressing his frustration that the wicked flourish on the earth despite their rebellion against God and crimes against their fellow man. This is a natural frustration experienced by many people. At the end of the Psalm, the writer concludes that God is not indifferent to evil and He will certainly judge evil men, even if He doesn’t do it as swiftly as we might want or expect.

David begins the Psalm 9 praising God for His previous deeds, specifically His deliverance of David from his enemies. David presented God as the afflicter of the evil man, and the avenger of the afflicted man. He encouraged people to “sing praises to the Lord” for this characteristic. Towards the end of the psalm, we see a statement of optimism about the future. David writes, “For the needy shall not always be forgotten, and the hope of the poor shall not perish forever” (9:18).

David opened this Psalm praising God for His magnificence. God’s name is to be praised in all the earth, and God’s glory exceeds the heavens. After observing and meditating on the beauty of creation, David expressed amazement that a God so powerful cared about him. God not only cares for humans but gives them an exalted place in the creation. Human beings are given glory and honor and are just slightly inferior to the heavenly beings that live with God.

In Psalm 7, David was once against being pursued by enemies. He invited God’s judgement on himself and those oppressing him. He believed his motives were pure and that God would vindicate him against his corrupt adversaries. David wrote, “My shield is with God, who saves the upright in heart” (7:10).

In the sixth Psalm, David calls out to the Lord to withdraw His discipline from him. David’s enemies were a continual thorn in his side. David’s soul was greatly troubled, and he cried so much he soaked his bed with tears. In the last 3 verses of the psalm, David expresses his confidence that God will help him and put his enemies to shame.

David begins Psalm 5 asking God to hear his prayer. His prayer is a groaning to the Lord for the wicked to be judged and the righteous to be blessed. He writes about God’s intolerance towards wickedness. How God hates evildoers, boasters, liars, and men who are bloodthirsty. He asks God to punish the wicked, bringing the consequences of the guilt on them.

In Psalm 4, David brings his distress to the Lord and asks God to hear his prayer. It seems there were men who were lying about and slandering David, trying to take away the glory he deserved as king and cover him in shame. David expressed his confidence that God would not let these men succeed, saying, “the Lord hears when I call to him.”

In Psalm 3, David wrote about his experience being surrounded by enemies. His enemies mocked the idea that his God would save him, but David had confidence in the Lord. He wrote about how he cried out to God and God heard him. “Salavation belongs to the Lord” (3:8).

Psalm 2 describes how the rulers of earthly nations oppose God’s Anointed, God’s chosen king, but God’s chosen king cannot be defeated. He reigns in superiority to all other kings. His allies find refuge in him. His enemies will find their ruin in him. Psalm 2 is quoted several times in the New Testament including in Peter’s speech in Acts 4:24-28.