Psalm 22:24-30 (NRSV)
Read Psalm 22:24-30 on biblegateway.com
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,
Devotion
David complains, praises and pleads as he "journals" his suffering, afflictions, death and life in Psalm 22. Yet through all assaults, David trusts God to be with him and, yes, even with the dead. Do we likewise trust?
One thousand years before Jesus commanded his disciples "to abide" in him, David was "abiding in" God. It was that abiding that drove David to plead to God for help while praising God for being his help. Although he was determined to fulfill the vows he had made in desperate prayers, David knew that it was not his works but God's goodness and mercy alone that would see him and all future generations transformed. He was right. God raised Christ from the dead!
Like David, we must be faithful in proclaiming faith to our children and to all who will listen. Love, peace, joy, security and eternal life rest only in our Lord.
Prayer
Thank you, Heavenly Father, for coming to us in Jesus and for empowering us through your Spirit. Help us remember that it is our abiding in Christ for the sake of others that is all you ask. Amen.