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1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish? 2 My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, but I find no rest. 3 Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the one Israel praises. 4 In you our ancestors put their trust; they trusted and you delivered them. 5 To you they cried out and were saved; in you they trusted and were not put to shame. 6 But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by everyone, despised by the people. 7 All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads. 8 “He trusts in the LORD,” they say, “let the LORD rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him.” 9 Yet you brought me out of the womb; you made me trust in you, even at my mother’s breast. 10 From birth I was cast on you; from my mother’s womb you have been my God. 11 Do not be far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help. 12 Many bulls surround me; strong bulls of Bashan encircle me. 13 Roaring lions that tear their prey open their mouths wide against me. 14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart has turned to wax; it has melted within me. 15 My mouth is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; you lay me in the dust of death. 16 Dogs surround me, a pack of villains encircles me; they pierce my hands and my feet. 17 All my bones are on display; people stare and gloat over me. 18 They divide my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment. 19 But you, LORD, do not be far from me. You are my strength; come quickly to help me. 20 Deliver me from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dogs. 21 Rescue me from the mouth of the lions; save me from the horns of the wild oxen. 22 I will declare your name to my people; in the assembly I will praise you. 23 You who fear the LORD, praise him! All you descendants of Jacob, honor him! Revere him, all you descendants of Israel! 24 For he has not despised or scorned the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help. 25 From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly; before those who fear you I will fulfill my vows. 26 The poor will eat and be satisfied; those who seek the LORD will praise him— may your hearts live forever! 27 All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD, and all the families of the nations will bow down before him, 28 for dominion belongs to the LORDand he rules over the nations. 29 All the rich of the earth will feast and worship; all who go down to the dust will kneel before him— those who cannot keep themselves alive. 30 Posterity will serve him; future generations will be told about the Lord.31 They will proclaim his righteousness, declaring to a people yet unborn: He has done it! (Psalm 22 NIV)
Dear Friend, please be in prayer for our little Adabelle Garcia, who at this writing is in the ER of a McAllen, Texas, hospital. She has been sedated to allow an IV be inserted so doctors can deteremine what ails her. She's running a 102.3 fever, and they suspect appendicitis. Pray all is well with our baby. May we continue to pray for Florida and those in the path of Hurricane Milton. Thankfully, it will not be a Category 5, but a Cat 2 is still scary. May God bless and protect all in its path.
If the opening verses of this psalm sound familiar, it's because it was the Psalm on Jesus' lips from the Cross. Though written, scholars believe, by King David, some 2,000 years before Jesus uttered it from the Cross. The psalm has in it prophetic words about the event in which it was fulfilled; the Crucifixion of Our Lord, Jesus. In keeping with the theme of this week, finding hope even in despair, the psalm resonates with many who have been suffering from painful experiences and their hearts ask where God is when they need Him the most.
The psalm captures the raw emotion of feeling distant from God during our darkest times. Yet, as we read on, we see a profound shift: the psalmist recalls the faithfulness of God throughout history, affirming that trust in Him has always led to salvation. Our history may well be exactly the same; in times of certain defeat, God has come through with our victory and triumph.
In moments of suffering, it’s easy to feel isolated, but this Psalm reminds us that we are not alone in our struggles. Many have walked this path before us and have found hope in the very One who seems distant. Just as the psalmist anchors his despair in remembrance of God’s faithfulness, we too can turn our eyes to the promises and past deliverances of God in our lives.
PRAYER: Loving God, In times of distress, help us to remember Your faithfulness. When we feel forsaken, remind us of the countless ways You have saved and delivered us. Give us the strength to trust in You even when we don’t see Your hand at work. Help us to anchor our hope in Your promises and to lean on the community of believers who can uplift us in prayer. We lay our worries and fears at Your feet, trusting that You hear our cries. This we pray in faith and in the name of our Lord Jesus, Amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! YOUR CALL TO ACTION: Take a moment to reflect on a time when you felt distant from God. Write down how He has shown His faithfulness in your life. Share this testimony with someone who might be struggling, reminding them that God is always present and that their cries are heard. Let’s support one another as we journey together in faith!
I love you and I thank God for you!
Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.
