But you, O Lᴏʀᴅ, do not remain far away. You are my source of strength. Hurry and help me!
Into the Text
Our SOAP verse today is a powerful proclamation in the middle of a Psalm that can be hard to read. So much injustice, trouble, and suffering is happening! Yet the Psalmist proclaims, “But you, O Lᴏʀᴅ…” He relies on the Lord for his strength and waits for God to help him.
The first words of this Psalm remind us of the anguish our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ went through as He was crucified. He used David’s words from Psalm 22 and cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46). It is a great privilege to have the Psalms to freely read and use today in our own lament and suffering, knowing Jesus was thinking of these same words in the moments before His death.
There is strength and certainly faith in proclaiming what we do not see or feel but know to be true (Hebrews 11:1). As God’s people, holy and dearly loved, we need to have faith in the midst of trials and suffering to remember who God is and to proclaim it. We need to speak it over our own weary, downcast soul, as well as proclaim it over and to those around us, including our loved ones, families, friends, and community.
May we be women who remain faithful and hopeful even in the direst of circumstances. May we always remember our precious Savior on the cross who turned to the Psalms for comfort in the midst of the most excruciating pain and agony. And may we follow His example and turn to God’s Word in our own pain, suffering, and questioning.
Prayer
Jesus, thank you for your example of turning to the Father when I am in pain. Thank you for being a Savior who can empathize with my suffering. God, I don’t understand what is happening. Help me through this. Amen.