Psalm Twenty-Two: Why Have You Forsaken Me?

Psalm 21

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

    Why are you so far from saving me,

    so far from my cries of anguish?

 

My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer,

    by night, but I find no rest.

Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One;

    you are the one Israel praises.

 

In you our ancestors put their trust;

    they trusted and you delivered them.

 

To you they cried out and were saved;

    in you they trusted and were not put to shame.

But I am a worm and not a man,

    scorned by everyone, despised by the people.

 

All who see me mock me;

    they hurl insults, shaking their heads.

 

“He trusts in the Lord,” they say,

    “let the Lord rescue him.

Let him deliver him,

    since he delights in him.”

Yet you brought me out of the womb;

    you made me trust in you, even at my mother’s breast.

 

From birth I was cast on you;

    from my mother’s womb you have been my God.

Do not be far from me,

    for trouble is near

    and there is no one to help.

Many bulls surround me;

    strong bulls of Bashan encircle me.

 

Roaring lions that tear their prey

    open their mouths wide against me.

 

I am poured out like water,

    and all my bones are out of joint.

My heart has turned to wax;

    it has melted within me.

 

My mouth is dried up like a potsherd,

    and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth;

    you lay me in the dust of death.

Dogs surround me,

    a pack of villains encircles me;

    they pierce[e] my hands and my feet.

 

All my bones are on display;

    people stare and gloat over me.

 

They divide my clothes among them

    and cast lots for my garment.

But you, Lord, do not be far from me.

    You are my strength; come quickly to help me.

 

Deliver me from the sword,

    my precious life from the power of the dogs.

 

Rescue me from the mouth of the lions;

    save me from the horns of the wild oxen.

I will declare your name to my people;

    in the assembly I will praise you.

 

You who fear the Lord, praise him!

    All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!

    Revere him, all you descendants of Israel!

 

For he has not despised or scorned

    the suffering of the afflicted one;

he has not hidden his face from him

    but has listened to his cry for help.

From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly;

    before those who fear you I will fulfill my vows.

 

The poor will eat and be satisfied;

    those who seek the Lord will praise him—

    may your hearts live forever!

All the ends of the earth

    will remember and turn to the Lord,

and all the families of the nations

    will bow down before him,

 

for dominion belongs to the Lord

    and he rules over the nations.

All the rich of the earth will feast and worship;

    all who go down to the dust will kneel before him—

    those who cannot keep themselves alive.

 

Posterity will serve him;

    future generations will be told about the Lord.

 

They will proclaim his righteousness,

    declaring to a people yet unborn:

    He has done it!

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I don't know about you, but I have definitely felt like David does here in this Psalm. Look back at that first verse: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning?" Have you ever felt that way? Have you ever felt forsaken by God? Have you ever felt like he was far away? Have you ever felt like God wasn't hearing your prayers? Yeah, I have been there too. David continues the Psalm and basically, well, he complains. He tells God how he is really feeling. He is honest. You can be honest with God too! You can tell him that you're disappointed, hurt, and angry. He can handle it. But, look at what David says in verses 19-21. He says that God is his strength, his deliverer, and his rescue. Look at verse 24:

"For he has not despised or disdained the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help".

Today, no matter what you are going through can I encourage you to tell Jesus? Can I encourage you to remind yourself that God is your strength, your deliverer, and your rescue? You are not despised or disdained. He had not hidden his face from you! You can lean on him!

What stood out to you in this Psalm?

Have you been honest and real with God lately? Have you told him how you feel? 

Stop right now and tell God what you are going through and allow him to be your strength!