Psalm 22 (NRSV)
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from helping me, from the words of my groaning?
O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer;
and by night but find no rest.
Yet you are holy,
enthroned on the praises of Israel.
In you our ancestors trusted;
they trusted, and you delivered them.
To you they cried and were saved;
in you they trusted and were not put to shame
Devotion
Today we live in a world with so much violence, hatred, bigotry and fear for the future generations, that we often wonder, where is God? We pray for guidance and trust that he will listen.
This psalm is a cry for help, like that of Jesus on the cross at the time of his crucifixion, “My God, why have you forsaken me?” And from those of us who wonder where God is in times of trouble, and whether he hears their plea for forgiveness. It is a prayer of healing and for deliverance for those who feel that God has forgotten them in turbulent times.
It is interesting to note that Jesus referred to the first words of this psalm during the crucifixion (Matthew 27:46) and echoed its last words at the moment of His death. The psalm opens with a statement of pain and suffering. In essence, this is the cry of someone asking, “Where are you, God?” That’s a natural reaction felt during times of hardship, whether from illness, addiction, sorrow, death, or feeling forgotten or alone.
As in other places in Scripture, the eventual answer is always the same: God is there, and He is in control—there is hope. Trust in him. As David did in this psalm, we must be confident that God is still in control, and that as we begin this journey to the cross we must have faith that God will overcome the unease and troubles we face in our lives today.
Prayer
You are our God, the source of life and its blessings. Wherever we turn our gaze we see signs of your goodness and love. Your loving spirit hovers over all your works. Help us to always turn to you, and to believe in you, even when you are silent. Amen.
Verna Chenault