The Cry of Absence
Psalm 22 begins with some of the heaviest, most agonizing words in the entire Bible: “My God, my god, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?” (Psalm 22:1).
If those words sound incredibly familiar, it’s because Jesus cried them out from the cross during His final hours of crucifixion. David wrote this raw song of lament centuries earlier, detailing his own profound sense of isolation and physical suffering. He felt abandoned by God, mocked by his peers, and poured out like water.
The inclusion of this Psalm in the Bible is a massive permission slip for every single one of us. It means God is not intimidated by our doubt, our pain, or our feelings of abandonment. He doesn’t ask us to put on a happy face or pretend everything is okay when our world is falling apart. He invites us to bring our rawest, unfiltered grief directly to Him.
The Pivot to Remembrance
Even in the depths of his agony, David does something brilliant. He forces his memory to look back at history: “In you our fathers trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them. To you they cried and were rescued” (Psalm 22:4–5).
When you can’t see God’s hand in your current situation, you have to rely on His track record. Your feelings might tell you that He is gone, but history proves that He is faithful. David uses the community’s historical storage of testimonies to anchor his drifting soul. He reminds himself that the God who delivered his ancestors is the same God holding his present moment.
A Future We Share
By the time the Psalm ends, the scenery changes completely. The individual cry of pain scales up into a global corporate celebration. David declares that “all the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord” and that “posterity shall serve him; it shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation” (Psalm 22:27, 30).
Because Jesus took on the full weight of Psalm 22 on the cross—enduring ultimate isolation so that we would never have to—we can know with absolute certainty that the dark days never get the final word. The story ends in victory, praise, and a family table that spans across generations.
Lord Jesus,
Thank you that you endured the deepest dark and the pain of isolation on the cross so that I would never have to experience true separation from the Father. When I feel overwhelmed, forgotten, or alone, help me to bring my honest heart to you. Remind me of your faithfulness in the past, and give me hope for the future you are building.
Amen.
Honest faith requires walking together through both the mountaintops and the valleys. If you’ve been carrying a heavy, silent burden, don’t walk through it by yourself. Reach out to a pastor, a small group leader, or a trusted friend this weekend. Let’s carry each other’s weights, because No ONE Walks Alone.
