October 15, 2020
All who prosper on earth will eat and bow down; all those who go down to the dust
will kneel before Him— even the one who cannot preserve his life.
30 Their descendants will serve Him; the next generation will be told about the Lord.
31 They will come and tell a people yet to be born about His righteousness— what He has done. – Psalm 22:29-21
The twenty-second psalms is typically one of lament. We often hear the opening verse of this psalm on Good Friday, as we remember the words of our Lord from the cross – “my God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
While I for one do focus on the response of Jesus and this psalm as a parallel to the passion story we read during Holy Week, it is important for us to understand the ancient song from a different time and what it means for us even today.
This psalm is one that takes us form the utter depths of lament, feeling the pain and anguish of someone who suffers, who feels that God has abandoned them. We may have felt that way sometimes during the past 7 months, or perhaps at some other time in life. I think there comes a time in most people, where the pain of the present moment seems to linger forever. However, we have made in through all of those bad day, or bad moments. I’ve heard it before, but it seems so appropriate to repeat. We’ve survived 100% of our worst days, so far. Realizing that we survive is a blessing in and of itself, and knowing the Spirit that draws us to the sustaining source of love and blessings is even greater.
As we read through this psalm in its entirety, we find that though this psalmists feels abandoned, though they feel mocked, and rejected, they remain focused on the one whom they praise. Verse 19 starts this pray of ascent from the depths, “But You, Lord, don’t be far away…Come quickly to help me.”
Soon, we find that the entire focus moves from feeling of abandonment and suffering, to praise and admiration to the God who saves. The verses above even show, that this psalmist is prepared that even if they don’t make in through this present crisis, they know the Lord will be praised in the next generation, and the next, and to those who are yet unborn. For any of us, this is the greatest legacy we can leave, to share the good news, that those who come after us will know the praise of our Lord, will proclaim the name of Jesus and remember and know He is Lord, now and forever. May we bring Christ Jesus all our praise for the good and the hard days, for he has saved us, everyone, and is worthy of such praise.
Grace & Peace,
Sam