March 4, 2005 Psalm 22

 March 4, 2005                                                                                                Psalm 22

 

Psalm 22:1-2; 23-31   “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, from the words of my groaning? O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer; and by night, but find no rest… You who fear the LORD, praise him! All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him; stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel! For he did not despise or abhor the affliction of the afflicted; he did not hide his face from me, but heard when I cried to him. From you comes my praise in the great congregation; my vows I will pay before those who fear him. The poor shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek him shall praise the LORD. May your hearts live forever! All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the LORD; and all the families of the nations shall worship before him. For dominion belongs to the LORD, and he rules over the nations.   To him, indeed, shall all who sleep in the earth bow down; before him shall bow all who go down to the dust, and I shall live for him. Posterity will serve him; future generations will be told about the Lord, and proclaim his deliverance to a people yet unborn, saying that he has done.”

 

            Psalm 22 reminds me of a roller coaster ride.  The opening verses hauntingly foretell the moment of deepest despair known to humanity.  Hints of Christ’s crucifixion are found throughout the Psalm.  And then, the final verses rocket us upward to the exhilarating ecstasy of God’s everlasting kingdom.  What a rush!

            Now I am a self-confessed American adrenaline junkie.  I like roller coasters and scary movies.  I occasionally drive faster than I should.  I push myself in recreational sports and over budget my time.  But American society often misses the point.  When reading, what stories are always more exciting that fictional adventure stories?  Answer:  Survival stories.

            People lost at sea, trapped in snowbound vehicles, pinned under boulders, that’s the next step beyond “adrenaline American-style.”  That’s real life.

            Survival stories remind me of Christianity.  The solitude, the faith, the perseverance in spite of the odds, the underlying protective hand of God, the victory of a tested human soul, especially when the outcome is uncertain – that’s survival.  That’s Christianity.  What a rush!

 

Lord, I thank you for your protection, guidance, and blessings.  Help me to see your hand in my life and in the world.  Open my heart to the full life that you offer each of us, in Christ’s name we pray.  Amen.

 

Contributed by Dave Cerven