Thursday, June 1, 2023

“My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? Why are You so far from helping Me, And from the words of My groaning?” Psalm 22:1

“And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” Matthew 27:46

Jesus experienced everything that we have experienced. Included among his feelings were those of abandonment and being forsaken. He was the Son of God. He was holy. He knew no sin. He was the Messiah – the promised one.

In the 27th chapter of Matthew, we read that some who stood there thought he was calling for Elijah. One person took a sponge, filled it with sour wine, and put it on a reed. He offered it to Jesus to drink. The rest said, “Let Him alone; let us see if Elijah will come to save Him.” The 50th verse says that Jesus caried out with a loud voice and yielded up His spirit. Then the word says that the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split. Graves opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many.

One of the truths that is worthy of focused thought is what happened after those feelings of abandonment and being forsaken. But first, Jesus gave up his spirit.

PRAYER: Thank you, Lord, for your example here on earth. I thank you for being human, but I thank you more for being God. Help me to live in submission to you. Help me to yield to your leading me. I know that by giving myself to you, I connect to you. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen