God Beyond the Suffering: a look at Psalm 22

I was reading Psalm 23 today, most people know it pretty well. Even those who aren’t necessarily Christian have probably heard some of it.

“The LORD is my shepherd;

I shall not want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures.

He leads me beside still waters.

He restores my soul.”

(Psalm 23:1-3 ESV)

We have probably all heard that Psalm on multiple occasions, (but in case you haven’t, here it is.) It is a Psalm recited, memorized, and repeated all across the Church. Why is this Psalm so famous? Not only is this passage in the Bible incredibly beautiful, but it is also usually recited and read in times of pain and suffering. In other words… the reason Psalm 23 is so popular is because of situations like Psalm 22.

“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.”

(Psalm 22:1, 2 ESV)

Recently, I’ve gone through this stage in my life where I haven’t necessarily felt God’s presence very much at all. This dry spell in my faith brought me to a lot of struggle. I felt like things were just sort of falling apart, the most tragic being one of my closest friends admitting that he didn’t feel like he wanted to follow Christ anymore. Honestly, I wondered where God was. I didn’t necessarily lose faith, but I found myself asking God, “Why are you so far from saving me?” I saw a lot of my other friends in a close walk with Jesus. They were telling me about how their faith has grown and changed… and yet I felt like I couldn’t see God anywhere. I was secretly filled with fear. I wondered if the Holy Spirit was still speaking to me, or if He was even still with me anymore. I felt lost.

That’s when I came across Psalm 22.

This is a Psalm of King David. He obviously wrote it when he was dealing with some troubling stuff. Look at this first part of this passage again:

“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.”

(Psalm 22:1, 2 ESV)

It’s clear to see that David is absolutely desperate in this situation. He clings to God as his one and only hope, but even then he still seems to be drowning in all of this struggle. It seems like a lot of times, we cry out to God for help, and he doesn’t answer. We grow worried or frustrated, and we ask things like, “Does God even love me anymore?” “Is God really for me?” “Does God really exist?” It’s so easy to give up in these situations, but even in this dark hour, look how David responds in the next verse:

“Yet you are holy,

enthroned on the praises of Israel.

In you our fathers trusted;

they trusted, and you delivered them.”

(Psalm 22: 3, 4 ESV)

This is what separates Christ’s followers from the fakers. Even in all of this struggle that David faces, he still clings to God. Yes, his situation looked grim, whatever it might have been at the time. However, he was able to look at his past, and look at the Word, and see all the ways God has provided. He found hope through God’s great promises, and this is where we need to find our hope in times of trouble as well.

As I read on, I saw parts in this passage that seemed vaguely familiar:

“I am poured out like water,

and all my bones are out of joint;”

(Psalm 22:14 ESV)

 

“For dogs encompass me;

a company of evildoers encircles me;

they have pierced my hand and feet-

I can count my bones-

they stare and gloat over me;

they divide my garments among them,

and for my clothing they cast lots.”

(Psalm 22:16-18 ESV)

That’s when I realized… this passage isn’t just about David. It’s about the death of Jesus. This is not only David’s cry for help, it’s a prophecy of the most tragic event in the history of mankind. Jesus even quotes this psalm as he died on the cross. In Mark 15:34, “And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema Sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

As I was reading this scripture, God showed me something amazing: Even in David’s desperate cry, even when he thought God was no longer there for him, Jesus was in the midst of his suffering, even when he didn’t know it. God not only heard David’s cry for help, but the suffering that David was going through turned out to be a promise of the eternal inheritance brought to us through Jesus Christ. His suffering became a prophecy which exalted the King of kings.

For awhile, I was worried that God had left me, or that He wasn’t listening to me. However, through this passage, I realized that When Jesus says, “I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matt. 28:20) He means it!  never leaves us, even when we think He has. Even if we can’t see God, He is still there, in the midst of our suffering. Our lives are far from perfect. Being a Christian does not mean that life suddenly becomes a breeze, and we walk with God seamlessly until the the day we die. Sometimes, our walk with Jesus becomes a crawl. Don’t beat yourself up over this. Look at David’s life, look at Job’s life, look at Paul’s life, look at Jesus’ life. Times get hard, our faith gets tested, and we wonder if God really has forsaken us; but it’s through those times that we must realize that Jesus is closer than ever, even when we can’t see Him.

Hope in the Ashes: Mary Magdalene

We all know the story of Jesus’ Resurrection. It’s the one true pivot point in history. It’s God’s ultimate victory, when we come to realize God always wins. Jesus, the conqueror, the King of kings, loves us so much that he died on the cross for our sin, and rose again three days later. We see the Resurrection story as something truly beautiful, and it truly is.

However, we tend to forget that the beauty came out of ashes. Love came because the pain and misery came first. The third day, when Jesus rose from the dead is beautiful because of the two days of silence, death and misery before it.

This is one of the biggest truths in the Bible: God makes truly beautiful things out of completely disgusting, depressing, and ordinary circumstances. You see it time and time again. The Amazing power of God is seen through the weak, the humble, the incapable, the guilty. Incredible miracles come in the most unexpected ways. God shows his glory to the most ‘unqualified’ people. That’s the way our God works.

You may be dealing with some difficult stuff in your life right now. God hasn’t given up on you, you shouldn’t give up either. Here’s why.

Think about Mary Magdalene. This woman followed Jesus as if she was one of His twelve disciples. She experienced His miracles, listened to His teaching, and was even healed by Jesus. One thing that I love about Mary is that she gave her whole life to Jesus. Every hope, every dream, all she had, she put into the hope that Jesus was the Messiah. Both in the the good times, when Jesus’ healed those who were hurting, and the bad times, when Lazarus died, she didn’t gave up on who Jesus was.

When Jesus died on cavalry, upon a rugged, bloody cross, I’m sure that a lot of people not only saw Jesus die, but felt their hope die too. The disciples, and all who gave their life to Him were laughed at for being fools, and the group of believers were scattered. Jesus had made promises that He would come back, but I’m sure at that time, no one quite believed it. After all, how could you come back from a brutal death on the cross?

Throughout this time, I don’t know what was going through Mary Magdalene’s head. “Where is the redemption in this? How did my Hero end up like this? This wasn’t the way it was supposed to turn out!” She had followed Jesus ever since He healed her from being demon possessed. She believed that He was the Son of God. She believed that He was going to be King. She believed He had the power to conquer anything… and yet… she watched Him suffer and die on a cross. I’m sure that in that moment, everything felt hopeless.

Have you ever felt like this?

Despite what she might have been going through, this is the one thing that never ceases to amaze me about Mary Magdalene. After Jesus breathes his last breath, after she sees him die, after He’s buried in a tomb, despite the horror and the loss… she went back to the tomb where Jesus was buried. She was going to help preserve Jesus’ body and pay respect to Him, even after all that has happened! Think about how amazing that is! After Jesus says that He is the Savior of the world, and then dies a criminal’s death on the cross, I’m sure she wasn’t feeling an overwhelming amount of trust or security in Christ. I think she felt fear, depression, and almost a sense of betrayal. He was supposed to be the One that brought the Kingdom of God to earth. He was supposed to be the Son of God… and now He’s dead. Yet Mary Magdalene was still willing to go back to Jesus, even when everything around her tells her to give up on Him. That is amazing.

In the Gospel of John, We also see that when Mary came back to the tomb she found it empty! I can’t even imagine what went through her head at that moment. Have you ever had one of those times where you just lost it? I’m pretty sure Mary felt a lot like that. Her whole world was falling to pieces. The Bible says she started to weep, and I’m pretty sure it wasn’t just a little cry either. This was one of those deep, bitter, lonely, cries. In that moment, Mary felt nothing but hopelessness.

Then God did something amazing.

Out of nowhere, two angels appeared. They asked Mary why she was crying and she replied,

“They have taken my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” (John 20:13)

There’s something significant out of this sentence: She still referred to Jesus as Lord, even when she thought He was dead, even when she felt a bit betrayed and confused, even when her world was upside down… she still called him Lord. She still thought of Jesus as the King, even when the world around her said otherwise.

She then turned around… and saw Jesus. She didn’t recognize him at first. When Jesus asks her why she was weeping, she thought that this was the man who stole the body of Jesus, so she said,

“Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.”

It’s here that Jesus reveals himself, and calls her by name.

Mary.

Her eyes are suddenly opened. She sees Jesus standing before her, alive, with open arms. Her tears of despair turn to tears of joy. Anxiety turns to hope. Fear turns to love. Jesus has won.

No matter where you are today, no matter what you have done in the past, no matter what you have seen, I want you to do one thing: Come back to Jesus. To those who think God has given up on them, or even believe that God hates them, to those who believe that they are unforgivable, I am here to tell you that Jesus is willing to forgive you, He loves you, and He wants to have a relationship with you, but in order to receive all that, we need to follow Mary Madeline’s example and come back to Jesus, even if we think there is no hope left for us. Remember, God makes his best miracles out of hopeless situations. If you put your trust in Him, you will not be put to shame. (Psalms 21:3)

Maybe you’ve had a relationship with Christ for a while, but recently, things have been tough. Do not give up! God hasn’t brought you this far just to leave you. Like I said before, the third day is beautiful because of the two days that came before it. God is writing your story as you read this, and it’s going to be absolutely beautiful, but it will be beautiful because of the struggles that God has rescued you from. With God, beauty rises from the ashes. No matter what happens, wait on The Lord. The trials will pass, Jesus is coming, I promise.

 “Those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength,

They will mount up with wings like eagles,

They will run and not be weary,

They will walk and not faint.”

-Isaiah 40:31.

The Art of Having Enough

I have a lot to be thankful for.

I have a family who functions incredibly well. I have a healthy body. I have friends who care. I have a God who loves me for me, despite all of my flaws. I have a LOT of stuff, probably too much. I’ve been blessed enough to have good life, a great life. Yet, why are there so many times that I find myself always asking for more?

If only I had _______. A lot of us can fill that blank with a whole list of things that we ‘need.’ Motivation. Love. Money. Friends. Opportunity. Those shoes. That job. That house. That car. The list adds up. I’m not saying it’s a bad thing to need, or even want those things. Maybe you need a new job. Maybe that oldsmobile out in the driveway isn’t exactly running the way it used to. Maybe all you need is someone to care. How do we find the money to pay rent? How do we find friends who love us for who us? How do we find the things we need to be satisfied? Here’s the answer: Give thanks.

Before you think I’m crazy, read Mark 6:34-44. In this passage, the disciples just get back from preaching the word of God, healing diseases, and caring for the poor. Jesus congratulates them on all the work they’ve done, they get in a boat, and go to a quiet place to rest. However, when Jesus and His disciples get to shore, the beach is full of more than 5000 people, all waiting to hear from Jesus. He has compassion for them, and starts to preach until it gets late, and people start to get hungry. When the disciples ask Jesus to send them home to get something to eat, Jesus says something profound:

“You give them something to eat.” (verse 37)

The disciples look at Jesus like he’s crazy. There are more than 5000 people here! How will we find that kind of money? However, Jesus insists.

“How many loaves do you have? Go and see.” and when [the disciples] found out, they said, “Five, and two fish. Then he commanded the all to sit down in groups on the green grass. So they sat down in groups, by hundreds and fifties. and taking the five loaves and the two fish he looked up to heaven and said a blessing and broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the people. And he divided the fish among them all. And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of fish.” (verses 38-43)

Have you ever noticed that not once in this passage did Jesus ever ask for more bread or fish? He said a blessing over what He already had and it became more than enough.

Jesus is teaching us something amazing here. We have more than enough already. If you have given your life to Jesus, He has control of your life. Wherever you are right now, Jesus has put you here for a reason. We pray over and over again for more______, yet we never seem to see God give us the thing we pray for. Maybe it’s time to stop asking God for more. Maybe it’s time to start giving thanks for the things He’s already done in our lives. Wherever you are, whatever you’re struggling with, God is preparing you for an eternity with Him. If you’re struggling, He’s making you stronger. Be thankful for that. Hebrews 12:5-6 says, “And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” Maybe your life is great, and everything is perfect. God is blessing you. Be thankful for that.

I’ve found time and time again that as soon as we stop asking for so much and start giving thanks for what we already have, things become enough. Be thankful, wherever you are. You are loved by the King. We have enough.

To Those Who Feel Like They Aren’t Good Enough…

I struggle with worthiness. So many times, I feel like I’m not good enough, or strong enough, or wise enough to take on life or to take on God’s forgiveness. I am a Christian, and I believe that I am saved by the Grace of Jesus, but in the heat of the moment, in the midst of my brokenness, I feel that maybe God is mad at me, or ashamed to be affiliated with me because of what I’ve thought or what I’ve done, or worse yet… maybe He’s just stopped forgiving me. I look at other ‘super’ Christians who rely on God for everything, I look at people who have their lives all together, and I envy them. I want to be like that, I want to trust that Christ is with me, but every time I try it, I get this feeling like I’m just not good enough.

Has anyone else felt like that?

There are times in your life, when all of your fear, uncertainty, and mistakes start to take a hold on your life. Whatever you’re struggling with, your mistakes all tell you the same thing. They will tell you that you are broken beyond repair. They will tell you that you are worthless. They will tell you that it is all your fault. They will tell you that you don’t have the strength to make it. They will say that you are unforgivable. They will surround you with darkness and doubt, bind your hands and feet with the weight of depression. They will say you don’t have what it takes. They might say that you must hurt yourself in order to make up for the wrong you have done. They will say it is impossible for you to be loved. It will call you a whore, a menace, a misfit, outcast, a basket case.

From this point forward, I dare you to do something crazy: Don’t listen.

Don’t give into those lies! You are beautiful. You are loved. You are an amazing creation of God. Believe it or not, there is a God out there who wants you. Not what you should be, not what you need to be, not what the world says you should be. He wants you, just as you are, even with every blemish, every scar, every mistake. Unlike the world, He is willing to look past all the dirt of your life and say, “I love you, I want you, and I want to be your Father.”

When you ask Him to come into your life, He adopts you into His family. He becomes your Father. This Dad won’t leave, no matter what you do or what you have done. He is happy to have you just the way you are. Here’s the best part, nothing we can do will change that.

To those who feel like you’re not good enough, here is my dare for you: Take your eyes off of your brokenness.

Stop looking at yourself as something worthless. I dare you to look away from every mistake, every blemish, every sin in your life, and keep your eyes fixed on what Jesus has done for you. You’re loved by the King of kings. Take hold of that love.  If you trust Jesus, if you asked Him to come into your life, he has forgiven you. (1 John 1:9)  You are already perfect through the cross of Christ.

Paul says it perfectly in Hebrews 12,

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”

It’s time to throw off your sin and fix your eyes on Jesus. His Grace is enough, I promise.

Looking Past the Storm

Recently, I was reading Matthew 14:22-33, where Jesus and Peter walk on water. It’s one of my favorite passages in the Bible. I’ve been going through a tough time in my faith, I struggle with doubt, and whether or not God has really forgiven me, but as I was reading it, this is what God showed me:

In times of trial, pain, doubt, or whatever else you may be going though, Jesus is not going to let go.

Take Peter for example. When he decides to take that first step out of the boat, he starts off looking like a pro. He walks up and over the waves like they were solid ground, everything is going smoothly… until he takes his eyes off of Jesus, looks at the storm, and starts to become terrified.

He then, starts to sink.

Here’s the crazy part: Jesus could have let him sink. Think about it, he has literally just offended the Son of God. By looking away from the One that is holding him above the waves, and gazing into this storm, he starts to have second thoughts! He is already walking over the waves. By the Grace of God, he is in the midst of this amazing miracle, and yet he doubts. Jesus could have let him sink… but he didn’t.

Jesus also could have picked Peter up, and thrown him back into the boat right away. Jesus definitely has the strength for it. He could have easily picked Peter up out of the waves as he was sinking, and hurled him back into the safety of the boat, where all the other disciples were… but he didn’t.

Jesus, instead of letting him sink, or instead of throwing Peter back to safety, He reaches down, and catches Peter as soon as he cries out for help.

Peter is still in the storm, Peter is still drowning in the waves, the only difference is, he won’t sink because Jesus has a hold on him.

Sometimes, in our lives, we are at the point of sinking.

There are so many times when I cry out to Jesus, and immediately He catches me… but I expect Him to throw me back into the boat right away, where it’s dry and safe… but he doesn’t.

Sometimes, the storm is still raging around you. You still feel the waves engulfing you, and to be honest, it sucks. But if you call upon Jesus, He’s going to catch you, no matter what. You may still be in the storm, but Jesus will hold you up over every single wave that comes at you. No matter what storm you may be going through, no matter how far you have sunk, if you call on Jesus, He will hold you up. Don’t expect a boat ride right away, but I can guarantee you that there will be a lifeguard.

Don’t give up, Jesus is holding you in your storm.