24 HOURS-Week 4: Psalm 22 & Encouragement

Posted by Randy | Labels: , , , , , , , | Posted On Saturday, March 27, 2010 at 6:06 PM


“Then at three o’clock Jesus called out with a loud voice, ‘Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?’ which means ‘My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?’” (Mark 15:34 (NLT2)

I have to confess that the first time I read these words from Jesus, I was disappointed. I could not imagine God abandoning His Son, yet Jesus cried these words out. At first I thought this was evidence God and Jesus and the Bible weren't all they were cracked up to be. My faith was young and I did not know my Bible well. But words that at first caused me to experience doubt about either the Bible or the nature of God have now become words of great insight and comfort to me.

The first time someone explained to me that these were the first words of Psalm 22, written by King David some one thousand years earlier, I decided I needed to find Psalm 22 and read it. In case you haven't read it, I've included it below:

"My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? Why are you so far away when I groan for help? Every day I call to you, my God, but you do not answer. Every night you hear my voice, but I find no relief.

"Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. Our ancestors trusted in you, and you rescued them. They cried out to you and were saved. They trusted in you and were never disgraced.

"But I am a worm and not a man. I am scorned and despised by all! Everyone who sees me mocks me. They sneer and shake their heads, saying, 'Is this the one who relies on the LORD? Then let the LORD save him! If the LORD loves him so much, let the LORD rescue him!'

"Yet you brought me safely from my mother’s womb and led me to trust you at my mother’s breast. I was thrust into your arms at my birth. You have been my God from the moment I was born.

"Do not stay so far from me, for trouble is near, and no one else can help me. My enemies surround me like a herd of bulls; fierce bulls of Bashan have hemmed me in! Like lions they open their jaws against me, roaring and tearing into their prey. My life is poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart is like wax, melting within me. My strength has dried up like sunbaked clay. My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. You have laid me in the dust and left me for dead. My enemies surround me like a pack of dogs; an evil gang closes in on me. They have pierced my hands and feet. I can count all my bones. My enemies stare at me and gloat. They divide my garments among themselves and throw dice for my clothing.

"O LORD, do not stay far away! You are my strength; come quickly to my aid! Save me from the sword; spare my precious life from these dogs. Snatch me from the lion’s jaws and from the horns of these wild oxen.

"I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters. I will praise you among your assembled people. Praise the LORD, all you who fear him! Honor him, all you descendants of Jacob! Show him reverence, all you descendants of Israel! For he has not ignored or belittled the suffering of the needy. He has not turned his back on them, but has listened to their cries for help.

"I will praise you in the great assembly. I will fulfill my vows in the presence of those who worship you. The poor will eat and be satisfied. All who seek the LORD will praise him. Their hearts will rejoice with everlasting joy. The whole earth will acknowledge the LORD and return to him. All the families of the nations will bow down before him. For royal power belongs to the LORD. He rules all the nations.

"Let the rich of the earth feast and worship. Bow before him, all who are mortal, all whose lives will end as dust. Our children will also serve him. Future generations will hear about the wonders of the Lord. His righteous acts will be told to those not yet born. They will hear about everything he has done." (Psalm 22 NLT2)

I was struck the first time I read this Psalm how descriptive it was of Jesus' last few hours here on earth. And as I dug deeper, the truth of this prophecy was astounding to me.

But, not only is it prophetic, Psalm 22 is rich in faith in God. In spite of all these circumstances, David writes about his faith. This Psalm reminds me of how there are times when I feel I'm just being overwhelmed, that I can't keep going. It's obvious that as David wrote this Psalm, he, too, seemed to feel that way. Yet, he held on to his faith.

I've always remembered something Mother Teresa said: "I know God will never give me more than I can handle, but I wish He didn't trust me so much." It feels that way sometimes. It must have felt that way to Jesus as he hung on the cross, but he did not let his feelings dictate his faith. He held on to his Heavenly Father, and that was enough!

I could say a lot more about this Psalm, but something else struck me about Psalm 22. It certainly could not be a coincidence that this difficult, gut-wrenching Psalm of faith is followed by Psalm 23. It almost seems like God used David to write an exclamation point to the faith of Jesus.

"The LORD is my shepherd; I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name. Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me. You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings. Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the LORD forever." (Psalm 23 NLT2)