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.
In you our ancestors trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them.
To you they cried, and were saved; in you they trusted, and were not put to shame.
Do not be far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help.
But you, O Lord, do not be far away! O my help, come quickly to my aid!
You who fear the Lord, praise him!
For he did not hide his face from me, but heard when I cried to him.
All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord;
and all the families of the nations shall worship him.
– Psalm 22:1-2, 5, 11, 19, 23a, 27
The timing of when our weekly devotions are sent via e-mail and posted electronically feels more than a little awkward and “out of sync” this week. After all, it’s Holy Week, and additional worship services are scheduled, with Maundy Thursday focused on the thoughtful, meaningful story of the Last Supper our Lord shared with his disciples, and the somber, sorrowful experience of the reality of the crucifixion on Good Friday. It seems inappropriate to celebrate the miracle of resurrection, even in a simple devotional message, at a time of such deep darkness and despair.
Indeed, these selected verses from Psalm 22, the Psalm for Good Friday, begin with the words Christ himself cried out while hanging on the cross. The psalmist pleads for God’s aid in a time of danger and distress, invoking the trust of his ancestors, and God’s response to their need. With trouble near and no one to help, he begs for God to come quickly to his aid. However, as the psalm continues, in what feels like a stream of rambling thoughts and feelings, we see a change of tone, and somehow, in the midst of fear and desperation, the writer realizes that the Lord does hear his cries, and will protect and care for him.
These words may well serve as a guide for us on this journey through Holy Week. After all, as human beings, any number of times we are frightened, anxious, hopeless, and angry, or feel helpless and isolated. That’s the very time we need to cry out and call on God, and turn to him as the one who is there at the darkest of times, and then remember that he is also the one who is there on the brightest morning the world has ever known.
Your friend in Christ,
Mary Rogers