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
All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord (Psalm 22:27).
I think it's easy to hear this as an invitation to reach out to the unbelieving. But it's quite disconcerting to accept the fullness of these words; that we are united by Christ even with those we disagree with. As our theme hymn suggests, Christ cries to all: "Come to me ye weary; give me your sickness and sorrow; I will give blessing." This applies not just to the outsiders that are broken and worn, nor just to we insiders who are properly "enlightened" in our belief. All the more powerfully, it encompasses even those whose different ways of interpreting Scripture draws blood to our face and furrows our brows.
Prayer
Lord of unity, break through our self-imposed barriers, building bridges between all who call on your name. May we, with our complexly beautiful diversity of thought, be united in Christ your son to do your will. Amen.