40 Days of Prayer, Day 37
Day 37, Monday, September 26
My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Far from my deliverance are the words of my groaning. O my God, I cry by day, but You do not answer; And by night, but I have no rest. Yet You are holy, O You who are enthroned upon the praises of Israel. In You our fathers trusted; They trusted and You delivered them. To You they cried out and were delivered; In You they trusted and were not disappointed. Psalm 22:1-5
The Cry of the Contrite-Hearted
Today, we turn our attention to one of the most emotional prayers in the entire Bible. Psalm 22 provides poetic words to the anguish of the grieving soul. Several of the statements in this psalm are familiar. We hear Jesus quote them in His life and ministry. The most familiar quote by Jesus from this Psalm comes from the very first verse, “My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?” In the climax of the single most important moment in human history, as God’s own Son died in our place, this verse provided Jesus Christ the words to express the anguish of His own soul. In addition to this verse, verses 7, 8, 16, 18 and 31 are directly or indirectly quoted in the New Testament as being fulfilled in Christ. The opening statement to the psalm sets the tone. This psalm focuses our minds on the plight of those who are hurting. The first two verses leave the reader in a state of the hopelessness of the psalmist. Then, the psalmist is jolted from helplessness by remembering the faithfulness of God. The structure of the rest of the psalm follows this pattern. Cries to God for help are followed by declarations of confidence in God. The psalm concludes with the offering of joyful praise of the rescued followed by the beautiful sharing of a feast in the house of the Lord together, verses 22-31.
The first section, verses 1-5, give words to those in profound despair. It is the most familiar verse in this psalm. When Christ neared His final moments on the cross, He quoted this psalm. There is such desperation to the words. “My God why have You forsaken me?” These words express both the need for immediate rescue but also the shocking sense of separation felt during the time of need. The psalmist expressed the emotions that all who walk difficult paths feel. We know God loves us. We know He is all-powerful and He is always present. We know He can help. So where is He? Here the sufferer stands, seemingly alone and abandoned by the only One that can really be trusted in these moments. “Where are You God?” “Why have You left me alone here?” “Why don’t You answer my prayers?” The answers to these penetrating questions come in waves of successive statements about God. The psalmist recounts the previous protection for Israel in times of national crisis. The psalmist also recounts God’s history of protection for individuals in need. The character of God prompts the despairing psalmist to turn his focus to the worship of the God of his salvation. “In You they trusted and were not disappointed.” Just as God delivered others in times of great suffering, God will deliver us as well. The suffering is real but so is His rescue plan. His love is real. He can be trusted to deliver us. He is worthy of our praise, even while the trials of life encircle us.
Prayer Focus
O Lord, draw near to the hurting. You love me and have a plan for me. As You have rescued Israel, even more so You have rescued me in Christ. I praise You for Your incredible mercy and grace. Help me trust You. Help me to wait on You as You work in my daily struggles, amen.
From Bunyan’s The Acceptable Sacrifice
A broken heart is the handiwork of God; a heart of his own preparing, for his own service; it is a sacrifice of his own providing, of his providing for himself; as Abraham said in another case, 'God will provide himself a lamb' (Gen 22:8). Hence it is said, 'The preparations of the heart in man is from the Lord.' And again, 'God makes my heart soft, and the Almighty troubles me' (Job 23:16). The heart, as it is by nature hard and impenetrable, so it remains, and so will remain, until God, as was said, bruises it with his hammer, and melts it with his fire. The stony nature of it is therefore said to be taken away of God. 'I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh' (Eze 36:26). I will take away the stony heart and I will give you a heart of flesh; that is, I will make your heart sensible, soft, wieldable, governable, and penitent. Sometimes he bids men rend their hearts, not because they can, but to convince them rather, that though it must be so, they cannot do it; so he bids them make themselves a new heart, and a new spirit, for the same purpose also; for if God does not rend it, it remains unrent; if God makes it not new, it abides an old one still. This is what is meant by his bending of men for himself, and of his working in them that which is pleasing in his sight (Zech 9:13). The heart, soul, or spirit, as in itself, as it came from God's fingers, a precious thing, a thing in God's account worth more than all the world. This heart, soul, or spirit, sin has hardened, the devil has bewitched, the world has deceived. This heart, thus beguiled, God covets and desires: 'My son, ' says he, 'give me thine heart, and let your eyes observe my ways' (Prov 23:26).