On Psalm 22

Summer Psalms - On Psalm 22

July 22, 2022

PRAY for Illumination:   Heavenly Father, help me to know your ways; teach me your paths and lead me into your truth. Amen.

READ Psalm 22

 “He trusts in the Lord,” they say,
   “let the Lord rescue him….”   Psalm 22:8

It will be another beautiful day today!  The sun is shining, and the days are long!  But when we read this Psalm today, we cannot help but think of that day when darkness fell over the earth and our Lord Jesus was nailed to a cross:

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?   Psalm 22:1 (see Matt. 27:46)

They divide my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment.   Psalm 22:18 (see Matt. 27:35)

The Psalmist, David, describes his feeling of being abandoned and how that it has made it feel as if even God has abandoned him!  But as we read this Psalm, we realize that it is people who have really abandoned him in his time of need.  David moves from lament to worship as he remembers how God has rescued his people in the past (vs. 3-5), how God has directed his life even from before birth (vs. 9-10), that He is a source of strength for today (vs. 19), and how God is the hope for the future (vs. 26).  

I think for all of us, there are times in which people or life (expectations and hopes) let us down.  We may feel isolated from others when we go through difficulties.  It may appear that we are alone in our misery and rejected by others.  We may even feel abandoned by God.  These are seasons or times of lament.   

But the beauty of our reading today is that we, with the Psalmist, share in the knowledge of God’s salvation - that he has been with us from the beginning and holds our future in His hands.  And so, as we go through times of lament, when we cry out to God for help, our faith can still find a resting place in Jesus Christ and lead us to a place of worship.  

Is there something in your life that you are lamenting and feeling alone in your battle.  Cry out to God, “Do not be far from me.”  Contemplate how Jesus, himself, walked the path of suffering.  But also consider how He leads us to a place of resurrection victory!  Ask God to walk you through your suffering and into a faith that rests in the secure hands of your Heavenly Father.   

The poor will eat and be satisfied;
     those who seek the Lord will praise him—
     may your hearts live forever!     

Psalm 22:26