Psalm 22:1: “My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? / Why are you so far from helping me, / And from the words of my groaning?”

January 28th, 2024 by Pastor Ed in devotional

This is a familiar passage to believers. It is 1 of 7 statements Jesus made from the cross on Golgotha. This psalm was a prophetic snapshot of the crucifixion of the Messiah, penned almost 1000 years before the event actually took place. It is a cry of abandonment as the sufferer becomes aware that he is, at that moment in time, forsaken. It is a recording of the great exchange of Jesus’ life for ours, as He took on Himself the punishment we deserved for our sins.

There is a story from American history that attempts to capture a little of this great truth. After the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln, his body was brought from Washington to Illinois. When it passed through Albany, it was carried through the streets as crowds lined the entire route. It was reported that a young black woman stood upon the curb and lifted her small son as far as she could above the heads of the crowd. She was then heard to say to her son, “Take a long look, honey. He died for you.” These are words of truth we all need to heed. We too should often take a deliberate look at Calvary and remind ourselves: “He died for you.”

“LORD, we confess we can only look quickly at Your cross because our eyes are soon diverted downward in guilty shame. We ask again for Your mind and heart this day, in Jesus’ name.”

=============================================================

Psalms 22 KJV

¹ My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?  

² O my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent. 

³ But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.

⁴ Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou didst deliver them.

⁵ They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded.

⁶ But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people.

⁷ All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying , 

⁸ He trusted on the LORD that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him.  

⁹ But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother’s breasts. 

¹⁰ I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother’s belly.

¹¹ Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help. 

¹² Many bulls have compassed me: strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round.

¹³ They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion.

¹⁴ I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels. 

¹⁵ My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death.

¹⁶ For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.

¹⁷ I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me.

¹⁸ They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.

¹⁹ But be not thou far from me, O LORD: O my strength, haste thee to help me.

²⁰ Deliver my soul from the sword; my darling from the power of the dog. 

²¹ Save me from the lion’s mouth: for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns.

²² I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee.

²³ Ye that fear the LORD, praise him; all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him; and fear him, all ye the seed of Israel.

²⁴ For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither hath he hid his face from him; but when he cried unto him, he heard.

²⁵ My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation: I will pay my vows before them that fear him.

²⁶ The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the LORD that seek him: your heart shall live for ever.

²⁷ All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the LORD: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee.

²⁸ For the kingdom is the LORD’S: and he is the governor among the nations.

²⁹ All they that be fat upon earth shall eat and worship: all they that go down to the dust shall bow before him: and none can keep alive his own soul.

³⁰ A seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation.

³¹ They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done this .