what god changes for you and my 🙏 prayer for you

Do not be far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help.

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Psalm 22 is well-known as a foretelling of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The first verse echoes what Jesus said from the cross.

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

The verses continue to describe intense thirst, pierced hands and feet, as well as the men dividing his clothing and people staring at him.

David is describing his own suffering, but God guides his words to provide the forward-looking passages that Jesus will fulfill.

David suffered when Saul persecuted him. He was hungry, and he was often alone. He experienced dehydration to the point where his tongue felt stuck in his mouth. And yet, Jesus felt the Spirit of God slip away from him when Jesus hung on the cross. His sacrifice fulfilled the law for my sins. The curse is broken because of Jesus’s death.

What struck me was how the Lord God changes things. Even when I feel completely alone, desperate for water, or when the weight of worry threatens to swallow me up, the Almighty One changes things.

He begins in me. It starts as a pinprick of light. He has been my God since I was formed in the womb. I delighted in my Lord and He in me.

The light grows as memories of God’s faithfulness crowd my mind. The many times He has come to my rescue, the stories my mother, my grandmother, and my great-grandmother would tell. Those are the stories I hand down to my children. God takes care of those who trust in Him.

And I am strengthened by the Lord God. He fills me with wonder. He satisfies me.

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!

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Verse of the Week and My Prayer for You

Psalm 22

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish? My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer,
by night, but I find no rest.

Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the one Israel praises. In you our ancestors put their trust; they trusted and you delivered them. To you they cried out and were saved; in you they trusted and were not put to shame.

But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by everyone, despised by the people. All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads. “He trusts in the Lord,” they say, “let the Lord rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him.”

Yet you brought me out of the womb; you made me trust in you, even at my mother’s breast. From birth I was cast on you; from my mother’s womb you have been my God.

Do not be far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help.

Many bulls surround me; strong bulls of Bashan encircle me. Roaring lions that tear their prey open their mouths wide against me. I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart has turned to wax; it has melted within me. My mouth is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; you lay me in the dust of death.

Dogs surround me, a pack of villains encircles me; they pierce my hands and my feet. All my bones are on display; people stare and gloat over me. They divide my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment.

But you, Lord, do not be far from me. You are my strength; come quickly to help me. Deliver me from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dogs. Rescue me from the mouth of the lions; save me from the horns of the wild oxen.

I will declare your name to my people; in the assembly I will praise you. You who fear the Lord, praise him! All you descendants of Jacob, honor him! Revere him, all you descendants of Israel! For he has not despised or scorned the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help.

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!

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!

Prayer

Lord, thank You for my reader. Thank You for hearing her cries of anguish and soothing her nights of unrest. Because she trusts in You, she finds deliverance, a Savior, and vindication.

Lord God, thank You that when she is mocked, scorned, despised, or insulted, she continues to trust in You. When she feels trouble drawing near, and no one is there to help her, she understands You are there.

Thank You, Lord, for strengthening her and giving her the help she needs. You rescue her and save her daily. And she rises up to declare Your name. She praises You, honors You, and reveres You. She is satisfied in You and lives to proclaim Your righteousness in Christ Jesus.

Lord, You are our Great and Mighty King. You fight for us every day. We trust in You. We rest in You, knowing You are faithful. Help us to be grateful and praise Your name, Almighty God. Be glorified through her. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Have a blessed week! Thank you for reading!