February 1, 2017
MAKE IT A GREAT DAY!
Psalm 22
Matthew Peisker
Central Truth
Even in the midst of his afflictions, David held on to the promise that God had not forgotten about him and listened when he cried out. In prophesying Jesus' afflictions, David makes it clear that in our afflictions we can cry out to God like Christ did.
Key Verse | Psalm 22:24
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.
(Psalm 22:24)
Psalm 22
Why Have You Forsaken Me?
To the choirmaster: according to The Doe of the Dawn. A Psalm of David.
1
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?
2
O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer,
and by night, but I find no rest.
3
Yet you are holy,
enthroned on the praises
1
22:3
Or dwelling in the praises
of Israel.
4
In you our fathers trusted;
they trusted, and you delivered them.
5
To you they cried and were rescued;
in you they trusted and were not put to shame.
6
But I am a worm and not a man,
scorned by mankind and despised by the people.
7
All who see me mock me;
they make mouths at me; they wag their heads;
8
“He trusts in the LORD; let him deliver him;
let him rescue him, for he delights in him!”
9
Yet you are he who took me from the womb;
you made me trust you at my mother's breasts.
10
On you was I cast from my birth,
and from my mother's womb you have been my God.
11
Be not far from me,
for trouble is near,
and there is none to help.
12
Many bulls encompass me;
strong bulls of Bashan surround me;
13
they open wide their mouths at me,
like a ravening and roaring lion.
14
I am poured out like water,
and all my bones are out of joint;
my heart is like wax;
it is melted within my breast;
15
my strength is dried up like a potsherd,
and my tongue sticks to my jaws;
you lay me in the dust of death.
16
For dogs encompass me;
a company of evildoers encircles me;
they have pierced my hands and feet
2
22:16
Some Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Vulgate, Syriac; most Hebrew manuscripts like a lion [they are at] my hands and feet
—
17
I can count all my bones—
they stare and gloat over me;
18
they divide my garments among them,
and for my clothing they cast lots.
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
3
22:21
Hebrew answered
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.
26
The afflicted
4
22:26
Or The meek
shall eat and be satisfied;
those who seek him shall praise the LORD!
May your hearts live forever!
27
All the ends of the earth shall remember
and turn to the LORD,
and all the families of the nations
shall worship before you.
28
For kingship belongs to the LORD,
and he rules over the nations.
29
All the prosperous of the earth eat and worship;
before him shall bow all who go down to the dust,
even the one who could not keep himself alive.
30
Posterity shall serve him;
it shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation;
31
they shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn,
that he has done it.
Dive Deeper | Psalm 22
Whatever time of day it is when you're reading this, you can still make it a great day! Some of my friends are annoyed by my enthusiasm and positivity, but others ask me where I get it. My response used to be, "Oh, I just have a bubbly personality." But now I've come to realize that I've simply chosen to utilize the wisdom from David in this psalm.
God has not hidden His face from me, even on the days that seem the darkest or hardest, and I've latched on to that truth. In my line of work, there is a lot of fear, rejection, and many opportunities to give up. Even with all of this, I can't remember the last time I had a "bad day."
Don't get me wrong. It's still a daily effort not to get caught up in, "O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer . . ." (Psalm 22:2) and forget that the Lord has saved me from the mouth of the lion, however that may look each day, or week, or year.
In this psalm, David reminds us that it's okay to cry out to God and tell Him how we feel. Even Christ did the same, and He had a worse day on the cross than we could ever even imagine having in our lives. Jesus' own Father, with whom He had been in perfect relationship for eternity turned His face away. David prophesies Christ's suffering in several verses: "all my bones are out of joint" and "they have pierced my hands and feet" (Psalm 22:14, 16).
Christ's sufferings would lead to tremendous joy and the ultimate gift to mankind: salvation. That's why David could rejoice and write about proclaiming God's praise and declare that even the unborn would hear of His righteousness. We, too, can have this attitude in the face of affliction. We just need to look for God's face and cry out to Him, no matter how distant and veiled He may seem. Then we can make every day a great day.
Discussion Questions
1. Does God really hear our prayers? Does He really respond when we cry out to Him? Is the Spirit really there at all times with us? As Christ followers, we know the answers to these to be "yes," but do we forget these truths when we're having a rough day at work, when we're going through a divorce, when we get ridiculed for speaking truth, when we lose a loved one, or when we are hurting for someone fighting a terminal and devastating disease?
2. Have you been at a point in your life where it seemed like God had turned His face away from you? How did you respond? Did you turn to worldly things to fill that "void"? What made you see His face again?
3. What are some practical steps we can take daily to remind ourselves that God has not forgotten about our afflictions and hears us when we call?
4. How can we make every day a great day?