Readings:
Exodus 2:11 - 3.22
Matthew 17: 10-27
Psalm 22: 1-18
Proverbs 5: 7-14
Psalms reading: If I must be honest, I've been avoiding the Psalms for the past few days. At times they seem so militaristic - God is powerful, gives me power, allows me to crush my enemies - as if God is little more than some kind of big brother who will come and beat up those who beat me up.
Then we come to a Psalm like Psalm 22, in which the writer is completely and unabandondly pouring out their heart before God. What makes this particular Psalm all the more poignant is that portrays exactly the kind of anguish that Jesus went through when he was about to die on the cross. Indeed, many of the elements of Psalm 22 have a prophetic ring (the casting of lots for his garment, for instance).
But what stands out for me is the plaintive cry at the beginning: "My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?" Of course, we know that God would never lus nor forsake us, but there are times where the storms of life seem so heavy that it seems as though God has completely deserted us. Yet often God's greatest blessing is found in the midst of the fiercest storm - when we've just about reached the end of our tether. That's when we experience the grace of God, and when we look back on such events, we become aware that God was with us all the way through.
So if you've come to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on - for God is about to do something amazing in your life.
No comments:
Post a Comment