Psalm 22:19 “But you, O LORD, be not far off;”

[You, Heavenly Father, only turned away from Jesus as long as was necessary; when His suffering was complete, you turned back and raised Him from the dead, gloriously defeating all your foes.

And because you, Lord Jesus, were willing to be abandoned on the cross while becoming sin for us, you can faithfully say to us, “I will never leave you or forsake you” (Heb. 13:5 ESV). Praise be to you, Lord God, that you are always near, always ready to help in grace, wisdom and power.]

“O my Strength, come quickly to help me.”

[You, Heavenly Father came with power to help, defeating death by raising Christ. And you are my strength, Lord Jesus, the Source of all good, the Provider of powerful protection, my righteous rock and faithful fortress.

Praise you that you give us help at the right time and in the right way. And praise you that while waiting, we can be worshiping, trusting and thanking you before any answer comes–because you, Lord, are gloriously faithful!]  Help me to rest in this truth today.

This next section of Psalm 22 is a series of amazing prophetic declarations, describing what would happen to Jesus 1000 years after it was written; it details the happenings of a crucifixion long before that cruel method of execution was devised. Truly God knows all that will come and reveals to us what we need to know.

Psalm 22:12,13 “Many bulls surround me; strong bulls of Bashan encircle me. Roaring lions tearing their prey open their mouths wide against me.”

[Satan and his forces, using the unbelieving rulers of Israel and the powerful Gentile Roman forces, sought to devour Christ, seemingly defeating Him with death.]

Psalm 22:14, 15 “I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart has turned to wax; it has melted away within me. My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; you lay me in the dust of death.”

[Here is the clear prophetic description of Christ’s crucifixion, with bones out of joint, with extreme thirst, with His heart melting from anguish and grief, ending with His death and burial.

What a wonder for us, Lord God to see how you, living outside of time, can describe what doesn’t yet exist in such precise detail. Your knowledge is deep, detailed, wonderful and marvelous, showing us the greatness of your character, the might of your wisdom and the grace of your revelation!]

Psalm 22:16 “Dogs have surrounded me; a band of evil men has encircled me,”

[The gentile Romans empowered by the faithless Jewish rulers brought Him to execution.]

“they have pierced my hands and my feet.”

[In crucifying you, they did exactly this.]

Psalm 22:17 “I can count all my bones;

[your bones stuck out as you were stretched and pulled on the cross.]

“people stare and gloat over me.”

[ “the rulers even sneered at him. They said, ‘He saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One'” (Luke 22:35).]

Psalm 22:18 “They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing.”

[And the soldiers did exactly that 1000 years later, casting lots for Jesus’ garment. The detail of prediction here is astounding.

Praise you, Lord, for your desire to share this with us, to show us how your knowledge and wisdom are limitless, always at work, waiting for the right time, bringing what is best to pass, passing all the way on the  road of suffering.

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As you lead me into worship each day, Lord Jesus, there is a definite sense of solidification within, a strengthening in my inner being, for you are “strengthening me with strength in my soul” (Psa. 136:8). I am more at rest in you; my confidence is shifting from other sources to you; there is a growing sense of firm faith in you which stands against my common sins of self-pity, impatience, discontent and fear.

Worship (praising you for who you are) brings transformation as I gaze on your greatness: “…we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit” (2. Cor. 3:18).

Worship of you, Lord, shines into my being the light of your character—positive, pure, powerful, passionate, and perfect—and you use it like a laser beam, shining deep into the recesses of my soul, exposing the filth of sin, burning away dross, purifying, healing, and guiding me into confession, repentance and the filling of the Spirit.

One result of worship–extolling you for your power and might, sovereignty and wisdom, omniscience and omnipresence–is that my being weak is no longer something to be feared and despised. My weakness has become like a lens, focusing my attention on you, Lord God, and on your mighty, loving, wise personality, waiting for you to act in each situation.

This is your way, Lord, reaching into our weakness and bringing your power with you. “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Cor. 12:9. An example is a principle I’ve mentioned recently: “the shortcut to humility is the road of humiliation.” When we embrace our weakness, thank God for us, “then the power of Christ rests one me.” 2 Cor. 12:10.

Lord help me to think this supernatural way, rejoicing in my weakness, reveling in your strength. May this honor  you and bring power when it is needed.

Psalm 22:11 “Do not be far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help.”

[David had only you to turn to, Lord, his great God and good Shepherd. Only you could help Jesus in His earthly life. And so it is in our lives: in the midst of powerful forces swirling around us–spiritual, political, economic, social–only you, Heavenly Father, can actually help. As it says in Psalm 62:1, “My soul finds rest in God alone, my salvation comes from Him.” All others are limited and weak, they fail, are faulty, are fickle, but you are faithful.

As it says in Psalm 18:16-18, “He sent from on high, he took me; he drew me out of many waters. He rescued me from my strong enemy and from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me. They confronted me in the day of my calamity, but the LORD was my support.”]

I praise you, Lord God, that you reach into every aspect of our lives to carry us through whatever challenges come. You take us through the valley of the shadow of death “out into a broad place; [you] rescue me, because [you] delight in me” (Ps. 18:19).

Thank you that today you will work this way in my life. Save me from the evil one, from evil people, from evil events and from my own evil within. Help me to keep on the armor, to trust in you that you may shield my head in today’s battle. Amen.

During those  3 ½ years in Germany, the Lord has faithfully continued this upward trend of my life, bringing me into ever  new and more radiant levels of relationship with Him.

This ongoing growth flows, like all the other changes God has wrought in me, out of meditation. It is powerful to get the Word into my mind through memorizing, then to water it by praying it, and to turn on the light of deeper understanding by personalizing it.

The insights that come, the understanding, the transformation of thought, feeling and desire are marvelous.

One great area of growth has been in understanding more of the love of God. Every day in putting on the armor of God, when I come to the belt of truth, I think first about what I actually deserve as a result of my sin in all its darkness: punishment, failure, suffering, death and eternal separation from God in Hell.

Then I add to this dark backdrop, the diamond of Truth, which says that in spite of what I deserve, the eternal holy God  chose me (and all others willing to believe) before the foundation of the world. He called me to Himself. He cleansed me, first forgiving, then washing away my sins and transforming me into a new creature. He claimed me as His son. He commissioned me to special service. He cherished me as if I were His only child.

Then I turn the spotlight of His grace to shine on this diamond of Truth, bringing out further sparkling aspects of His love: I now stand before Him dearly loved, deeply cared for, doted on and delighted in.  I bask in the reality of His grace, letting myself feel the wonder of total acceptance, the security of utter approval, the joy of unending love.

As I stand in this beam of grace, reveling without a pause in the light of such unconditional, rich, never-ending love, I am transformed a bit more each day.

There is a solidification of my sense of security. There is a severing of my sinful fear of others’ thoughts and values. There is a shift in my thoughts and feelings towards myself: an acceptance of self, based on Christ’s acceptance of me; a lowering of self criticalness along with a rise in my desire to please Him. I experience a rest from the disturbing desire to “measure up” to others standards by being right. There is growth in the peace and joy that comes from knowing God, as opposed to performing well.

All this frees me to love others around me more, to forgive more easily, to quickly overlook offenses, to be gracious, patient and positive.

It allows me to be a carrier of “Sonshine” to others; to have believing faith for them when theirs isn’t enough, to encourage others in thankfulness, to look at the positives in their lives, rather than being distracted by the negatives.

It makes me more realistic, less idealistic. It brings a delight in being weak, confidence in God’s doing what is best, peace in the midst of uncertainty, and joy, even when I don’t get what I want.

It stimulates the flow of creativity and the ability to see what is good in hardship. It gives acuity to see and claim truth when I am accused with vague, negative generalizations.

In general it opens my eyes to the beauty of the Lord all around me and within me, like this vibrant flower here. Truly as we know the Truth, it sets us free. Will we follow Him into this freedom?