Psalm 22

                As part of my return to blogging, I want to pick up where I left of in the Psalms.  The psalms have always been an important part of the Bible for me.  They’re poetic and flow with lots of emotion.  Many psalms have become the basis for some of the songs we sing in churches today.  Matt Redman’s “Better is One Day” has its roots in Psalm 84.  Third Day’s “Your Love Oh Lord” comes out of Psalm 36.  Psalm 9 has been set to music.  I know I’ve sung songs based off of Psalm 121 as well.  It’s no secret that music is an important part of who I am and its now also my job as worship leader.  So, I want to dive back into the Psalms.  I’ll try to explore one or two each week.

Psalm 22 starts with one of the more prominent passages in scripture, even if most of us don’t realize it or put it in Matthew’s context.  “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Psalm 22:1)  These words of David are echoed by Christ as he hangs on the cross.  The psalm is a stirring plea for help.  Though this psalm comes out of David’s suffering, it predicts the suffering Christ will endure at the cross.

                Day and night David cries out, but there is no response.  Surrounded by his enemies, despised and rejected by them, David feels low.  Yet, he trusts in God as his fathers did.  In verse 19, David reiterates his plea for help, “O my Strength, come quickly to help me.”  A few verses later, we start to see God’s deliverance.  “I will declare your name to my brothers; in the congregation I will praise you.” (Psalm22:22).

                This is one of the challenging and, at times, frustrating thing with the Psalms.  A lot of the songs that start in despair, or struggle, or dire circumstances manage to find deliverance by the end.  When I’m in those dire circumstances and deliverance hasn’t found me yet, it’s hard to press on.  It’s hard to read psalms that so poignantly describe David’s anguish and then reveal his salvation.  I can relate to the anguish, but I struggle to connect with his words of salvation, because it hasn’t happened yet.

                The challenge in these Psalms is to remember that David praised God in the middle of the storm.  Even in the midst of his despair and anguish, he never stopped believing that God would deliver him.  Part of David’s reassurance comes from the history he knew.  “[Our Fathers] cried to you and were saved; in you they trusted and were not disappointed.” (Psalm 22:5)  David knew that in the past his forefathers had called out for help and God had answered them.  Therefore, David knew he could do the same.  I have to trust that I can do the same today.  Hebrews 13:8 says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”  If God is unchanging and history shows that he watches over his people and delivers them from their anguish, then, surely, in His timing, God will deliver me as well.  I just have to be patient.