My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, from the words of my groaning? O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer; and by night, but find no rest. Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. In you our ancestors trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them. To you they cried, and were saved; in you they trusted, and were not put to shame. — Psalm 22
Separation sucks! It doesn’t matter if you are an introvert or extrovert, long term separation sucks. This week, in Texas, all mandates were lifted, paving the way for people to do what people naturally do — fellowship. We were not created to be isolated. We need human contact: hugs, touch, holding hands. The longer we go without it, the deeper we fall into a pit of hopelessness.
Just like human beings are created to be together, we are also created to be joined with God. Psalm 22 is about a heart that feels separated from God. It reflects a time when God doesn’t feel close. He doesn’t seem to care. How we feel often conflicts with the truth we know about God. The lyrics of a Lauren Daigle song (“You Say”) share this struggle:
You say I am loved when I can’t feel a thing
You say I am strong when I think I am weak
You say I am held when I am falling short
When I don’t belong, oh, you say that I am yours
And I believe. Feelings tell us God has forgotten us; faith reminds us of his powerful love. Feelings fool us into thinking God has hidden his face from us; faith convicts our hearts that he will never leave or forsake us. Feelings are fickle and often crush the spirit; faith gives hope.
Jesus deliberately quotes Psalm 22 from the cross, beginning with feelings of separation, but as he suffers, the entire psalm runs through his mind until his heart hears, “He has not hidden his face from him, but answered him when he called” (v. 24). Jesus clings to faith, not feelings, in his trials.
If you are feeling separated from God, now is the perfect time to reach out and say yes to God!
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