Reflections from Psalm 22

This morning I was reading Psalm 22, one of the many Psalms written by David, and it is rich. It is a Psalm that contains many prophecies about Jesus and phrases quoted by Jesus when he was on the cross. But I also think it’s a Psalm that can speak directly to many and what they are walking through right now. Let me show you…

God, my God! Why would you abandon me now? Why do you remain distant, refusing to answer my tearful cries in the day and my desperate cries for your help in the night? I can’t stop sobbing. Where are you, my God?

Psalm 22:1-2 (TPT)

I believe there are many right now who feel these verses are reading their mail, that God is distant, that He’s not answering their prayers and tearful cries to Him. Interestingly, the word for ‘answer’ here also means affliction. There are many who feel that not only is God not answering their prayers, but their afflictions (suffering) of various sorts is continuing without relief or an end in sight.

So don’t leave me now, for trouble is all around me, and there’s no one to help me. I’m surrounded by many violent foes like bulls; forces of evil encircle me like the strong bulls of Bashan.

Psalm 22:11-12 (TPT)

The root word for “bull” means “to break or destroy.” The word Bashan, although known as a fertile land northeast of Lake Galilee, is also a word for “serpent.” These represent the many demonic spirits who came against the Son of God as he was being crucified, and I also believe against many of the sons and daughters of God today who are feeling the pressure of this. The level of spiritual attack has been and continues to be relentless.

Like ravenous, roaring lions tearing their prey, they pour curses from their mouths. Now I’m completely exhausted. Every joint of my body has been pulled apart. My courage has melted away. I’m so thirsty and parched. My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. And now you lay me in the dust of death.

Psalm 22:13-15 (TPT)

I also believe that many are feeling like this at the moment – exhausted, struggling to remain courageous, like they are trapped with no way out, dry, thirsty, empty, and stuck. Things seem hopeless, impossible and like they will never change.

I don’t know what you are personally experiencing, but, trust me, I can relate. And even more importantly, I believe Jesus can relate. It must have been so overwhelming hanging on a cross, enduring all he did, and feeling abandoned. Remember, Jesus prayed asking God to take away his suffering, but God chose not to answer that prayer. He experienced such a deep anguish in the Garden of Gethsemane. He gets it!

But what I also love about this Psalm is that it is also filled with hope, and I believe it can give us some keys as many of us continue to navigate challenging circumstances.

Yet I know that you are most holy. You are God-Enthroned, the praise of Israel. Our fathers’ faith was in you—through the generations they trusted in you and you came through. Every time they cried out to you in their despair, you were faithful to deliver them; you didn’t disappoint them.  

Psalm 22:3-5 (TPT)

After pouring out his heart and saying ‘where are you God?’, David then comes back to this place of remembering who God is and how He has always come through for those in the past. We can also read Scripture and see example after example of the same: God provided a ram for Abraham to sacrifice instead of his son, God led the Israelites miraculously out of Egypt, God provided people to deliver the Israelites from oppression from foreign nations, God allowed David to slay a giant, God provided a continual source of oil for a widow who needed to pay her debts, God allowed an axe head to float to the surface of the Jordan River so it wasn’t lost, God shut the mouths of lions to protect Daniel, God delivered Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego from the fiery furnace, and I could go on and on. God has continually delivered and provided for His people in times of distress. It may not always look how they expected and in the timing they expected, but He never fails. He also never changes.

That same promise is also available to you and I. I find I have to regularly remind myself of these times in Scripture and also in my own life personally where God has delivered me to stay connected to hope. Some days it is easier than others, but I believe it is essential that we do the same.

I believe another key lies in the following verses:

I will declare your name before all my brothers and praise you in the midst of the congregation. Those who fear Yahweh, praise him! Let all the seed of Jacob glorify him with your praises. Stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel!

Psalm 22:22-23 (TPT)

Praise and worship is key. It has the power to shift mindsets and do things in our hearts we cannot fully comprehend. I also believe that praising and worshipping God in the midst of challenges is a powerful opportunity that we have to declare to all of creation, both people, angels and demonic forces that God is and always will be our Lord, our rock and our strength. We have such a short life on this earth, and when we are with Him forever in eternity we will get to experience a world where there will be no resistance and no hardship. It’s so hard to even comprehend! But in the meantime, I believe we have an opportunity to choose to praise God in the midst of the challenges and resistance that exists in this life. When we choose this – I believe the demons shudder, because it sends a message to them that they have no hold over God’s children.

This Psalm ends with the phrase ‘it is finished,’ the final words of Jesus on the cross. I can only imagine the relief that Jesus must have experienced in that moment. But Jesus never lost sight of the fact that his suffering had a purpose (redeeming humanity) and would not last forever. He knew that because he chose to walk through his suffering there was a great reward in store. He knew that in this world it would enable God’s children to walk in true intimacy with the Father. He also knew that it would allow the Holy Spirit to work through God’s children to impact the entire world for the Kingdom. Finally, He knew that there was a great reward waiting for him in heaven.

Hebrews words it this way:

Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honour beside God’s throne.

Hebrews 12:2 (NLT)

He kept his eyes on the end game. He knew this was for a moment and what was in store was so much better.

In Romans it says, “I am convinced that any suffering we endure is less than nothing compared to the magnitude of glory that is about to be unveiled within us.” (Romans 8:18 TPT) This verse has been one of my theme verses in 2022. The word for glory means ‘magnitude’, ‘splendour’ and ‘perfection’. While suffering is awful, there is something that God does with it in us as His children – He uses it to reveal Himself in us. He burns away the stuff that’s not of Him and leaves what is of Him remaining. He matures us. He changes our perspective. He uses us in ways we couldn’t imagine.

I believe that promise exists for both this earthly life and also for our eternal life. We can’t always see what is going on in the midst of the challenges, but we can rest in the fact that He is releasing His glory in and through us as we journey it together.

Finally, David writes this verse in this Psalm:

Let all the poor and broken eat until satisfied. Bring Yahweh praise and you will find him. May your hearts overflow with life forever!

Psalm 22:26 (TPT)

No matter what is going on, we have the opportunity every day to feast at the table of the King. In Psalm 23 it says that God prepares a table for us to feast on in the presence of our enemies. Yes, they are relentless, yes it is difficult, but nothing can take away the feast that is available to you and I, which is intimacy with Him, enjoying His presence with and in us no matter what. I lose sight of this all too often, but it’s constantly available nonetheless!

If you are experiencing hard times right now, I pray that this reflection on Psalm 22 encourages you, and fills you with a fresh hope as we celebrate the Christmas season together.