Psalm 22:23-31 (NRSV)
Read Psalm 22:23-31 on biblegateway.com
Verse 23You who fear the Lord, praise him! All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him; stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel!
Verse 24For he did not despise or abhor the affliction of the afflicted; he did not hide his face from me, but heard when I cried to him.
Verse 25From you comes my praise in the great congregation; my vows I will pay before those who fear him.
Verse 26The poor shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek him shall praise the Lord. May your hearts live forever!
Verse 27All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord; and all the families of the nations shall worship before him.
Verse 28For dominion belongs to the Lord, and he rules over the nations.
Verse 29To him, indeed, shall all who sleep in the earth bow down; before him shall bow all who go down to the dust, and I shall live for him.
Verse 30Posterity will serve him; future generations will be told about the Lord,
Verse 31and proclaim his deliverance to a people yet unborn, saying that he has done it.
Devotion
In Mark’s account of Jesus’ crucifixion, the dying Lord utters the heartrending words: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Many observers are quick to point out that these are the words that begin Psalm 22. Many have likewise pondered whether Jesus had the whole Psalm in mind when he uttered that lament. If so, then he—and we—would be reminded of the strong and heart-lifting words that form today’s text. In the latter part of this Psalm the focus shifts from pain and suffering to praise and thanksgiving. Not only is relief granted to the wounded, but a signal of hope goes forth to all the ends of the earth. Here is a declaration that God’s promise and presence can be experienced even in the midst of personal and even global troubles. Whether we are in the depths of despair or on the heights of hope, God is with us. We are never forsaken.
Prayer
Lord, Emmanuel, be with us in all sorts and conditions. Speak to us, lift us up and cause us to breathe the pure oxygen of your life-giving Spirit. Amen.