Daily Devotionals
Daily Devotional: Psalms 22:1-8
Ps 22:1-8
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest. Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. In you our fathers trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them. To you they cried and were rescued; in you they trusted and were not put to shame. But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by mankind and despised by the people. All who see me mock me; they make mouths at me; they wag their heads; “He trusts in the Lord; let him deliver him; let him rescue him, for he delights in him!”
Matt 27:41-46
So also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him, saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him. For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” And the robbers who were crucified with him also reviled him in the same way. Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
When I read the Bible, I try to put myself in the scene as one or more of the people involved. Then, when appropriate, I ask myself how I would have acted or reacted if this scene unfolded in my life today? If in the crowd, would I have been laughing and making fun of Jesus as he died? If I were one of the religious leaders, would I have been leading the mockery? If not, why would I have been different?
If it were not so serious, it would be funny how the religious hierarchy quoted scripture to the fulfillment of prophecy without even knowing it. They thought they were winning the battle by having Jesus put to death when in fact, they were making fools of themselves killing the Son of the God they claimed to serve. Death could not conquer Jesus because God wins over Satan every time! God raised him from the grave, and he will raise all who are in Christ when our time comes!
O Lord God, my heavenly Father, holy and righteous is your name in all the earth! It is an honor and a privilege to be able to be called your child and to know that you love me and care about me as I live each day. There are times in life that it seems that you have forsaken me because I do not see help or deliverance as even a possibility. Then in just the right time, in the right way, you are with me and taking me through the trial that seemed to engulf me! Thank you for all the times you have delivered me! In the name of my risen Savior, I pray.
Robert
