Psalm 22:23-25

“For 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.” vs, 24

The anguish of the psalmist is vividly expressed in the first part of this psalm, and according to the gospel of Mark, Jesus remembered it as he hung dying on the cross. “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me!” he cried out, and we sense his pain. But in this section of the psalm we get a different message. God had not been absent during the times of affliction, and ultimately the psalmist realized that his prayers had been heard. He reacts by offering hymns of praise and thanksgiving in the temple–he wants the whole congregation to know the blessings that God had visited upon him. That’s how it works in the kingdom. Sometimes, but not always, our cries of pain and anguish are heard, and our affliction is taken from us. In those moments we are all too willing to share our stories of thanksgiving and praise. We tell everyone who will listen that God is good, and that our prayers have been answered. The problem is that it doesn’t happen every time. Occasionally, the suffering continues, just as it did for Jesus on the cross. That does not mean that God is absent. In fact people have reported that in their deepest pain they have experienced an amazing intimacy with Christ. Again, that’s how it works in the kingdom. In seasons of joy and suffering, God is!

Thought for the Day: What relieves my suffering?