Good morning to you! Today in the Word. Friday, Oct. 25, 2013 When You Feel Forsaken Read Matthew 27:45–54 But you, Lord, do not be far from me. You are my strength; come quickly to help me.Psalm 22:19 One theologian describes Jesus’ cry from the cross as “more a shriek than a saying.” It sounds like a cry of despair. In reality it is an affirmation of faith. It is a lament, but it is also liturgy. These words uttered from the cross would have been very familiar to Jesus’ listeners because they quote the first verse of Psalm 22. Jesus was aware of the prophetic significance of this psalm, which predicted the suffering of Israel’s Messiah, when He took these words upon His lips. This does not mean that the words had no emotional value for Him. It is clear from the Scriptures that Jesus had a rich and intimate prayer life. He often secluded Himself for the purpose of prayer (Matt. 14:23; Luke 5:16; 6:12; 9:28). His prayers leading up to this moment of suffering were both intimate and frank. Jesus expressed the distress He felt in anticipation of His suffering to His disciples and to His Heavenly Father (Matt. 26:38–39). Following the pattern of the Psalms, Jesus also expressed His confidence in God in prayer (John 17:1–26). Jesus provides a model to follow when we feel forsaken. We should express ourselves to the community of believers but with realistic expectations. If the disciples slept when Jesus asked them to “watch and pray” along with Him, we should not be surprised if they sometimes disappoint us as well (Matt. 26:38–40). When we pray to the Father, we should express ourselves truthfully. We should not try to tell God what we think He wants to hear. He already knows what is in our hearts and is aware of our words before they are spoken (Ps. 139:4). He will not be shocked by our honesty. At the same time, we should express ourselves in faith. Apply the Word The pattern of prayer in the Psalms and prophets combines frankness with faith. In a kind of call and response, Psalm 22 begins with a cry of despair and concludes with an affirmation of faith. Why not try to write your own psalm of prayer following this pattern. Begin with the cry of your heart. Then write what you think God might say to you in reply. Have a blessed day being frank in your faith when you feel forsaken by God!
Posted on: Fri, 25 Oct 2013 11:23:11 +0000
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