Read the Word:
Psalm 22:1-15
Meditate on the Word:
Of course the beginin of this psalm is likely more familiar to us as spoken by Jesus on the cross (Matthew 27:46, Mark 15:34). But our psalmist was not writing primarily about the crucifixion of the Messiah. He was expressing, in poetic form, his anguish what he was experiencing. David was surrounded by enemies and did not feel God’s presence with him. Even though he trusted in God, he was feeling abandoned by Him.
Perhaps there are times when we experience this. Life feels overwhelming. It seems as if everything and everyone is coming against you all at once. You are surrounded, with no way out. And, to top it off, you cannot feel the presence of God with you. It can seem as if He has abandoned you. It can be a desperate, frightful time. I feel that God sometimes allows us to go through these things in order to cause us to seek Him more earnestly. These times, I think, can lead to a greater appreciation of those times when we feel particularly close to Him. On the other side of this feeling can be some of the greatest joy and comfort that we could ever experience.
Of course, we must realize that we are never truly abandoned by God. His presence is never contingent on our feeling. His presence is promised, “I will never leave you nor foraske you” (Deut. 31:8; Heb. 13:5). Our perceptions may not be reliable, but our God always is.
Pray the Word:
Ask our Lord for the courage to trust in Him, no matter what you are feeling at the moment.
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