My God, My God

“My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?  Why are you so far from saving me?”  “The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.”  Have you ever noticed the contrast of the 22nd and 23rd Psalms?  Both were written by David and placed side by side.  They didn’t even have chapters when the Hebrew Bible was put together, so they would just flow together, chapters and verses were added much later.  I don’t know about you, but that seems to be the story of my life.  Desperately distressed one minute, or day, and deeply devoted the next.  What’s wrong with me?  I do feel like I am in good company with David, the man after God’s own heart, but still?  Why the roller coaster of emotion… of devotion… of faith?  I have often described my spiritual walk as somewhat of a rollercoaster ride.  There is the great anticipation of the click, click, click of the coaster as it makes its way to that first big drop.  Then there is the exhilaration and blood pumping excitement of the first big drop, but somewhere along the way, maybe during a hairpin curve or one of those corkscrew loops that, at least, a little fear and maybe doubt sets in.  Let me say now that I love coasters and thank God for them, just as I do this amazing life he has given me, but I still have fear at times, I still doubt, I am still human.  I am just sometimes hot and sometimes cold when it comes to faith.
It may surprise you, but even Jesus had his moments, never giving in, but moments nonetheless.  Remember Matthew 26, in Gethsemane when He asked the cup be taken from Him?  His human side was “very sorrowful, even to death”.   Sound like a rollercoaster moment?  It would be hard to even come up with all the times David’s faith was tested, and he failed several of them. Peter denied Jesus outright, “I do not know the man” (Matthew 26:69-75).  Moses tried to get out of saving the people from Egypt … Sampson gave his secret away and lost his power … Abraham, the father of nations, made numerous mistakes on his spiritual journey.  So when I mess up, it sure won’t be the first time God has seen that happen.  When my faith is not as hot as I would like it, it won’t be the first time God experienced someone in a moment of weakness.  Jesus understands, He is standing right beside God reminding Him, as if he could forget anyway, about all these great men of faith that messed up, had weak moments and even left the faith for a bit.
What’s amazing about all these men, there are women too, by the way,  is that they kept getting up.  David was a man after God’s own heart.  Peter delivered that amazing message starting the Lord’s Church at Pentecost. Moses saved the people from Egyptian bondage and was used mightily by God.  Sampson’s strength returned and he saved his people. And,  Abraham was the father of nations and through him we received Jesus, our savior.  So when our faith is a bit weak, or we mess up, even big time, God gets it, He’s seen it all before.  Don’t be too down on yourself.  Now read the 23rd Psalm, notice how personal it is.  Look at all the “I’s”, “my’s” and “me’s”, that’s YOU.  Take comfort … God is with you … God forgives you … God loves you.
God Bless!