God to the Rescue

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?  Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest. Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. In you our fathers trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them. To you they cried and were rescued; in you they trusted and were not put to shame.

─ Psalm 22:1-5 ESV

Jews and Christians have believed many of the Psalms foretold events of the Messiah’s life as well as documented the days of old. Many felt King David’s psalms applied to the Messiah because He was promised to be born of David’s lineage (Psalm 89). And Jesus frequently spoke from the Psalms. During the Crucifixion, most of Jesus’ words in His last hours were written prophetically in the Psalms.

When Jesus is about to give us His spirit, He cries loudly from the cross a phrase recorded in Matthew 27:46 and Mark 15:34. The English Standard Version of the Bible relates it like this: “And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?’ that is, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’”

David shared the exact same words in the first verse of our Scripture for today (Psalm 22:1). Psalm 22 is a prayer that can carry you from great suffering to incredible joy. Even though David experienced rejection from his friends and felt that God, too, had forsaken him, David believed God would eventually lead him out of the difficult place he had found himself in.

Jesus too, suffering on the cross, knew the gruesome and brutal suffering would pass, and He would literally rise from the dead. So, He looked to God, trusted Him and gave up His very life.

Forsake means to turn away from or withdraw from. As a parent, most of us can’t imagine forsaking our own child, so why would God do that to David, or to Jesus – His own son? It’s hard for us to truly imagine or try to understand, but that’s exactly what has happened. God the Father and God the Son both counted the cost and found it necessary for you and all of humanity the opportunity to experience the truth of just how much God really values you.

David and Jesus both trusted God to be rescued from the suffering they experienced. The days we live in today can be difficult and painful. Like David and Jesus, you can look forward to the future, trusting God by living one day at a time and believe God’s great love will rescue you too.

Today’s One Thing

Encourage yourself today with David’s words, and read aloud Psalm 22:19-24 (ESV).

19 But you, O Lord, do not be far off!

O you my help, come quickly to my aid!

20 Deliver my soul from the sword,

my precious life from the power of the dog!

21 Save me from the mouth of the lion!

You have rescued me from the horns of the wild oxen!

22 I will tell of your name to my brothers;

in the midst of the congregation I will praise you:

23 You who fear the Lord, praise him!

All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him,

and stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel!

24 For he has not despised or abhorred

the affliction of the afflicted,

and he has not hidden his face from him,

but has heard, when he cried to him.

25 From you comes my praise in the great congregation;

my vows I will perform before those who fear him.

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