Psalm 22
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from helping me, from the words of my groaning?
O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer;
and by night but find no rest.
Yet you are holy,
enthroned on the praises of Israel.
In you our ancestors trusted;
they trusted, and you delivered them.
To you they cried and were saved;
in you they trusted and were not put to shame.
But I am a worm and not human,
scorned by others and despised by the people.
All who see me mock me;
they sneer at me; they shake their heads;
“Commit your cause to the Lord; let him deliver—
let him rescue the one in whom he delights!”
Yet it was you who took me from the womb;
you kept me safe on my mother’s breast.
On you I was cast from my birth,
and since my mother bore me you have been my God.
Do not be far from me,
for trouble is near,
and there is no one to help.
Many bulls encircle me;
strong bulls of Bashan surround me;
they open wide their mouths at me,
like a ravening and roaring lion.
I am poured out like water,
and all my bones are out of joint;
my heart is like wax;
it is melted within my breast;
my mouth is dried up like a potsherd,
and my tongue sticks to my jaws;
you lay me in the dust of death.
For dogs are all around me;
a company of evildoers encircles me;
they bound my hands and feet.
I can count all my bones.
They stare and gloat over me;
they divide my clothes among themselves,
and for my clothing they cast lots.
But you, O Lord, do not be far away!
O my help, come quickly to my aid!
Deliver my soul from the sword,
my life from the power of the dog!
Save me from the mouth of the lion!
From the horns of the wild oxen you have rescued me.
I will tell of your name to my brothers and sisters;
in the midst of the congregation I will praise you:
You who fear the Lord, praise him!
All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him;
stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel!
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.
From you comes my praise in the great congregation;
my vows I will pay before those who fear him.
The poor shall eat and be satisfied;
those who seek him shall praise the Lord.
May your hearts live forever!
All the ends of the earth shall remember
and turn to the Lord,
and all the families of the nations
shall worship before him.
For dominion belongs to the Lord,
and he rules over the nations.
To 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.
Posterity will serve him;
future generations will be told about the Lord
and proclaim his deliverance to a people yet unborn,
saying that he has done it.
Today's Reflective Questions
- What specific commitment do you hear God inviting you to make in response to this text?
- How will you begin to prioritize that commitment in the coming days and weeks?
- What additional spiritual practice(s) (scripture, silence, sabbath, prayer, fasting) might you experiment with as you seek to live this new commitment?
This Week's Lenten Focus: Commitment
This Lenten season, Bishop David Wilson, along with some conference staff and members of the laity, are inviting the people of the Great Plains Conference and beyond to “Pay Attention to God’s Voice” during this season of Lent. The theme for this week is Commitment.
Commitment, at its core, is about being dedicated to a cause or an activity, about setting an intention to do something. To be committed to something does not mean we will be perfect, it does not mean it will always be easy, but to be committed is to state our intention to make something a priority and to continue growing in our pursuit of that thing. As we grow in love of God and neighbor, we are invited to increasingly live lives of commitment. We commit to grow in love of God. We commit to grow in love of neighbor. We commit to spiritual practices that form us in Christ’s likeness. We commit to receiving God’s forgiveness when we make mistakes. We commit to extending grace to others when they let us down. We commit to joining with Jesus in praying that God’s will is done, on earth as it is in heaven. In all of this, the spiritual practice of commitment allows us to listen more attentively for and to hear God’s invitations in our lives.
Rev. Jeff Clinger
jclinger@greatplainsumc.org
Invitation to Go Deeper
Before you move on with the rest of your day, sit in silence for 1-2 minutes (at least) and ask God to give you clarity regarding, and to strengthen you for, the commitments you sense God calling you to make.
