Lamenting with Confidence

Have you ever had just a really bad day?

I looked up people that have just had a really bad day and these were a few of the things that came up

This couple just got married but there car was not doing to well- The wife has a smile the husband, not so much

I am not sure what happened in this next photo other than the guy just had a really bad day

This next one we can all relate too I think...

This ones a little hard to tell whats happening, but the caaption said their kid forgot to close the car door during a snow storm

Last one, this guy was working on his roof with no one at home when he heard a bang

Anyone ever had a day like that?

Where things just seem to go wrong?

And it happens in small ways right?

You mess something up at work

They get your order wrong at the drive through

a car rear ends you (or catches on fire I guess)

But then it happens in big ways as well and these are not just things that are inconvenient, but they are things that potentially shake our lives.

We lose our job

A loved one gets sick

Maybe a disaster happens and you lose everything.

And I guess my question as we start out this morning is what do we do with these times where everything goes wrong and it seems like things have fallen apart?

What do we do in the times where we do not have words for the situation we are in

Where we feel alone, scared, we feel like part of who were are has been taken.

And so today we are going to be looking at Psalm 22 and something I love about the book Psalms is that a lot of Psalms in there are some really raw emotions.

I mean if you ever read through the Psalms there are some things that you read and go “wow the Bible said that?!”

But they are songs, prayers and meditations written from different people going through different situations.

And I love the one we are in today because it was written by a guy we know as King David.

And a lot of us might know who King David was, but before he was a king, the king before him wanted David dead.

Because he did not want David to be King and so he wanted to end David’s life

And if the king of the nation wants to end your life you run right?

And not just that but you find a good place to hide.

And so David lived in the wilderness, and in other odd places for what most scholars believe is 7 years

And not just that but meanwhile Saul is looking for David with the full force of a nation

And I imagine you can just picture David going “really God?”

“This is not what I thought , when I was told I was going to be king”

I mean if God told me I was going to be a king, I would picture something different

And a lot of people believe David wrote this Psalm out of this place in his life.

And there are really two parts of this Psalm that we are focusing on and not just that but there are two context to this Psalm

Because one focuses on Davids situation it seems and the other focuses on somthing that was going to happen.

so we will be starting in the first couple verses. Look at what David says out of this place in His life:

Psalm 22:1–2 NIV

1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish? 2 My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, but I find no rest.

You know David starts in kind of a dark place doesn’t he?

Because he says my God, my God why have you forsaken me?

That word forsaken could also be translated as abandoned or deserted.

And you can picture him thinking if I am your child God, I feel like I am your child that you abandoned.

You are not close to helping even though I am crying out to you day and night.

And I mean its emotional,

And its easy to look at David and go wow look how little his faith is…

But can I just say this is an okay place to be because David is in a place where he is in a very real place.

And he is being very real with God.

Because to often we feel like we have to come to God, or even church put together, but God wants us to come to Him how we are.

And really this Psalm starts with David Lamenting.

And this is what I want us to get, because when things are going wrong in our life its actually important to Lement or mourn what is loss.

And we live in a culture that does not do this, because when something happens we will often find ways to ignore the pain

We make plans to get away from the pain, we have phones that can keep our minds busy so we do not have dwell on things.

And sometimes these are good things to do because the pain is to much, but can I show you what happens when we do this all the time, when there is pain in our life

Because say this tote is your life. And this water represents the sorrow that you feel or the pain of loss in your life.

A lot of times we let out a little bit of pain or sorrow, but then we just hold in the rest.

And we kind of catch ourselves in a place where at first it does not seem like its a big deal

but then eventually as we live life and more things happen wwe begin to get weighed down more and more.

And our lives get heavy.

And youll notice there is a fill by line. you know why, because if you fill it much past this the container will eventually collapse.

And can I just say I think to often we do this with our lives and it wears us down.

Because instead of sitting in it, we have not processed it and it just builds up.

And whats interesting in Biblical times they sat in the pain, in fact there were deaths in the Bible and we are told the people would sit for 30 days and just mourn.

and I want you to hear me on this because I am not saying live in a world where everything is terrible and you are constantly lementing,

But sometimes its good to just sit and say God whats happening, I had this dream, I thought this would work out.

And I want to look at this next part, because I told you there are two parts right?

Because there is lementing, but the other part of this is the confidence that David has in God in the middle of his lement.

Look at verse 3 because He moves on:

Psalm 22:3 NIV

3 Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the one Israel praises.

I love this because David acknowledges his situation, but then he ackowledges his God.

The situation is tough, but God is still on the throne.

And this is good news because Davids not confident in his circumstance, but he is confident in His God.

Its almost like my parents have this thing called a side by side thats like an ATV or gator and if you told me this would be my parents hobby when they were retiring I would have laughed but they retired and got into ATV stuff I guess.

And I think I have talked about this before, but when your in this thing it is almost impossible to get it stuck.

And not just that, but it can climb mountains.

And so I went with my dad a couple summers ago and the routes a little nerve racking because there are steep parts, but when you remember what your in, you realize you are okay.

because the road can be windy and things can go wrong, but God stays the same.

Lets look at this next part, verses 4-5 because David then says this:

Psalm 22:4–5 NIV

4 In you our ancestors put their trust; they trusted and you delivered them. 5 To you they cried out and were saved; in you they trusted and were not put to shame.

You know I love this because Davids going our ancestors placed their trust in God and he goes, but God did not disappoint.

And this seems like a really simple point and we talked a little bit about it last week but when we look at how God has moved in the past, we can have confidence in how He will move in the future.

Imagine if I said Hunter I need you to give this to your mom,

Well If I saw your mom later that day and I said did hunter give your letter?

And she said no, I would probably go okay Hunter did not see things through…

Or if you did it I would go she did see it through, I can trust her.

But you know when it comes to God we should be able to see how He has moved in our lives, but also others and be able to say “wow God was there here, I believe He will be here now.”

Lets look at this next part in verses 6 and 10 and this is one of the second to last part I want to focus on:

Psalm 22:6–10 NIV

6 But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by everyone, despised by the people. 7 All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads. 8 “He trusts in the Lord,” they say, “let the Lord rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him.” 9 Yet you brought me out of the womb; you made me trust in you, even at my mother’s breast. 10 From birth I was cast on you; from my mother’s womb you have been my God.

You know David Mourns again, but I love what he says, because he points out the trust He has in God in verse 9

And I love the imagery He gives because he uses a baby feeding.

You know kids really have to trust there parents don’t they?

Because Liam and Finn have complete confidence that their parents are going to feed them.

And He is saying you know in a way thats where I have been.

My whole life I have trusted God, and have trusted that He will go with me and provide,

And I want to wrap things up with this, because one of the most remarkable parts of this Psalm like most of the passages we have been in during this series is its points to something amazing that was happening,

It points to Christ dying on the cross.

You might have picked this up when I read the first verse of this passage,

My God, My God why have you forsaken me, was actually one of the last things Jesus said before dying on the cross

And some people go wow God left, Jesus in that moment, but can I just say I do not believe thats correct.

Because what I believe and the vast majority of scholars believe is that Jesus being nailed to the cross, probably struggling to breath, most likely exhausted and in more pain then any of us can imagine, uttered out this phrase

And the Jews would have immeadiatly recognized what He was quoting, not Him saying God you have abandon me and thats the end,

But Him saying God I feel more alone then ever, but I trust you.

And I in a moment there will be some music playing softly in the background and I want you to just close your eyes as the music starts because I am going to read the rest of this passage

And I want you to notice that the remainder of this passage is very prophetic in nature where it tells of really all Jesus would experience as he suffered and died on the cross and not just that but it tells what it means for us.

And I am not going to go into it, but once I am done I want to give us a minute or two to reflect on this Psalm, and what it means for us.

What it means that you may be surrounded this morning, but you can trust God

That God is still in charge

That we have a God that loves you so much that He died on the cross

And not just that, but He knows how you feel because this is how He felt.

Close your eyes and lets listen to this:

Psalm 22:11–31 (NIV)

11 Do not be far from me,

for trouble is near

and there is no one to help.

12 Many bulls surround me;

strong bulls of Bashan encircle me.

13 Roaring lions that tear their prey

open their mouths wide against me.

14 I am poured out like water,

and all my bones are out of joint.

My heart has turned to wax;

it has melted within me.

15 My mouth is dried up like a potsherd,

and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth;

you lay me in the dust of death.

16 Dogs surround me,

a pack of villains encircles me;

they pierce  my hands and my feet.

17 All my bones are on display;

people stare and gloat over me.

18 They divide my clothes among them

and cast lots for my garment.

19 But you, Lord, do not be far from me.

You are my strength; come quickly to help me.

20 Deliver me from the sword,

my precious life from the power of the dogs.

21 Rescue me from the mouth of the lions;

save me from the horns of the wild oxen.

22 I will declare your name to my people;

in the assembly I will praise you.

23 You who fear the Lord, praise him!

All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!

Revere him, all you descendants of Israel!

24 For he has not despised or scorned

the suffering of the afflicted one;

he has not hidden his face from him

but has listened to his cry for help.

25 From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly;

before those who fear you I will fulfill my vows.

26 The poor will eat and be satisfied;

those who seek the Lord will praise him—

may your hearts live forever!

27 All the ends of the earth

will remember and turn to the Lord,

and all the families of the nations

will bow down before him,

28 for dominion belongs to the Lord

and he rules over the nations.

29 All the rich of the earth will feast and worship;

all who go down to the dust will kneel before him—

those who cannot keep themselves alive.

30 Posterity will serve him;

future generations will be told about the Lord.

31 They will proclaim his righteousness,

declaring to a people yet unborn:

He has done it!

Will you just reflect on that for a minute:

You know this morning we have a God who has felt what you have felt. I don’t know about you but there are times I have felt surrounded, there are times I have felt the need to cry for help but felt alone, but whats amazing is Jesus felt the same thing and He lemented it

But He also had confidence

maybe this mourning we need to Lament, maybe we want to say God I believe, but help my unbelief, like in that song that we sang, but this morning as we close lets do it together.

Will you pray with me?

Well as we close we are finishing up with communion and I love communion because it reminds us of this sacrifice that Christ has given us and not just that but it reminds us of how precius you are to him

Because even when we are going through tough times he has been there and really He has died for us.

So we are singing this last song, and I would just invite you just to come forward and get the elements and we will recieve them together.

Lets Pray