This morning Psalm 22 was the diet of choice as I read through my newest study Bible for 2016.  This is one of the most passion-packed Psalms David wrote, and it is full of vulnerable statements of helplessness personally and yet full confidence in the Lord of glory, the God of Heaven, ultimately.  Honesty is David’s voice throughout, including honest struggles with God’s delay in rescuing him from his sufferings.

God has greater purposes than our immediate comforts, and for David, his life foreshadowed the life of our Lord Jesus.  What a wonderful passage of God’s Word for us to meditate on when we consider the passion of Jesus Christ for us, His Church, His blood-bought siblings for eternity!  We are ushered into the very presence of God for eternity to worship and praise Him BECAUSE OF the passion of our Christ, Jesus the suffering King.

“You who fear the LORD, praise Him!  … From You comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly; before those who fear You I will fulfill my vows.  The poor will eat and be satisfied; those who seek the LORD will praise Him – may Your hearts live forever!”

As I sit here in our LORD’s presence, my heart is caught up in praise for His worth.  There is no one like our God!  What one of the fake gods of this world’s history would give his or her attention to the vile and poor like me?  Which one of the gods we seek to create would love me when I’m low or seek me in my sinfulness?  Why would the God Who created all of us choose to suffer such anguish for people who only tend to seek His favor when at our lowest points of sorrow or sinfulness?  Why else would you do this, God of glory, except that You love us and pursue us in Your divine love?

You are glorious, LORD JESUS!

“All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD, and all the families of the nations will bow down before Him, for dominion belongs to the LORD and He rules over the nations.  All the rich of the earth will feast and worship; all who go down to the dust will kneel before Him – those who cannot keep themselves alive.  Posterity will serve Him; future generations will be told about the LORD.  They will proclaim His righteousness, declaring to a people yet unborn: He has done it!”