#DailyDevotion Has God Forgotten You?
Psalm 42:3, 9–10; antiphon: vv. 5–6a 5Why am I so discouraged, and why am I in such turmoil? 6I must look to God for help, and praise Him Who is my Saviour and my God. 3My tears have been my food day and night because I’m asked all day long, “Where is your God?”. 9I will ask God, “My Rock, why did You forget me? Why must I go mourning while the enemy oppresses me?” 10My enemies insult me — it’s a crushing of my bones —by asking me all day long, “Where is your God?” 5Why am I so discouraged, and why am I in such turmoil? 6I must look to God for help, and praise Him Who is my Saviour and my God.
Job knew the sort of thoughts that are expressed in this psalm. You remember Job; in one day he lost all his crops, all his animals and all his kids. Shortly after that his health went to pot. His wife told him to just curse God and die. Get it over with. His friends knew he must have done something wrong for all this to befall him. He knew what it was like to have tears for his food day and night. He probably wondered himself if God had forgotten him. But in all this he did not sin.
Perhaps you yourself know what Job was going through. You may feel discouraged and are in great turmoil. Tears may be your food day and night. Maybe people are asking you where is your God? Why doesn’t God do something about this? Perhaps someone’s insults are even crushing your bones. David who wrote these words as he felt them himself and we have his words here, “I must look to God for help and praise him.”
Jesus during his passion, from his prayers in the garden, to the trials before the Sanhedrin, Herod and Pilate knew in his innermost being, in his body to the depths of his soul and spirit these words for they are his own. He was discourage and in turmoil as he prayed in the garden with sweat as drops of blood. His friend would betray him with a kiss. The rest would abandon him as he was arrested. One of his closest friends would deny even knowing him. His tears became his food day and night.
Jesus’ enemies oppressed him from every side. They were his own people who handed him over to the Romans for crucifixion. The Jewish leadership mocked him as they struck his cheek, “Prophesy, who hit you?” As he was hanging on the cross the mocked him, “Let God save your now if you’re the messiah!” In other words, “Where is your God?” Such mocking crushed his bones. Jesus knows the words, “My Rock, why did you forget me?” as he cries out, “My God, my God why did you forsake me?”
Yet Jesus also in the garden, in the courts, on the cross knows these words as well, “I must look to God for help and praise him who is my God and Saviour.” Yes in the turmoil of his suffering and death Jesus looked to God for help. We too, who are his disciples may share in his sufferings in this life. We also must look to God to be our help and Saviour. As the Father helped in on the 3rd day we can trust in our salvation as well.
O Lord our God, you are our help and salvation. Even as Jesus turned to you in his trials and tribulations, grant us his faith in your so we too, in the despair of our hearts, look to you for life and salvation. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.