Christian Reflection and Prayer

Read Psalm 80.
TEXT: Yet You are holy, enthroned on the praises of
Israel (Psalm 22:3).

Jesus is suffering greatly from the people around Him:
the mocking and jeers of the crowds, one of the
criminals, the Jewish religious leaders, and the
taunting of the Roman soldiers. In His place, we
would likely lash out at them, but not just at them.
After all, the greatest pain He suffers is from His own
Father, who has laid on Him the sins of the world, and
unleashed His fiery wrath on Jesus. But Jesus pleads
for their forgiveness, and turning to His Father, He
confesses, "Yet You are holy."

There is nothing just and right about Jesus' sufferings.
During His entire earthly life He has been perfect in
thought, word and deed. He has loved God with all His
heart, soul, mind and strength. He has loved His
neighbor as Himself. Each of us deserves this
punishment for we have failed miserably.

But innocent and pure, Jesus lies under the crushing
burden of our sins and God's wrath. Yet Jesus finds no
fault in His Father for this. God is holy, completely right
and true in all He does, without a hint of wrong or sin.
That is the reason God is King over Israel, and rightly
receives their praises.

We too go through times of great trial and struggle in life.
But even on our darkest days God is pure, loving and holy.
He is not the cause of our suffering, nor does He delight
in seeing us suffer. Though the world may weigh us down
with suffering and distress, God can use these
circumstances to draw us closer to Him, so we may cling
to Him alone through faith.

THE PRAYER:

Lord Jesus Christ, give me faith to see the holiness of my
God and give Him praises, no matter how badly I may suffer.
Amen.

(Lenten Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries)

Read Psalm 88.

TEXT: O my God, I cry by day, but You do not answer, and
by night, but I find no rest (Psalm 22:2).

Jesus was crucified around nine in the morning. He speaks
briefly three times in those early daylight hours, but most of
the time He hangs silently. But even in His silence He is
crying out to His Father through His groans and tears. Three
hours later the world is plunged into unnatural night as the
sun stops shining. Crushed beneath the load of our sins and
the fiery wrath of our God it must have felt like eternity for
Him. In the unnatural darkness His moans cry out to heaven.
But His Father gives Him no rest, no relief- just the bitter
pangs of hell striking Him in wave after wave.

Sometimes sickness or pain, troubles and fears, guilt or
 torment grip us. No matter what we try we can't escape the
pain night or day. We plead to God to give us relief and help,
but we find little or no change, whether it's daytime or
nighttime.

Perhaps today is such a time for you.

It is in these times that Jesus encourages us to follow His
example, to keep crying out day and night. He promises,
"Will not God give justice to His elect, who cry to Him day
and night? Will He delay long over them? I tell you, He will
give justice to them speedily" (see Luke 18:7-8).

Very soon Jesus will complete His payment for our sins.
His suffering will cease and He will be in Paradise forever.
Soon God will relieve your burden, and give you times of
rest and peace. In the meantime, keep crying out to Him
in faith.

THE PRAYER:

Lord Jesus Christ, in Your indescribable pain and agony
You cried out to Your Father from the cross. Give me grace
to keep praying night and day. Amen.

(Lenten Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries)

Read Matthew 8:5-13.

TEXT: Why are You so far from saving me, from the
words of my groaning? (See Psalm 22:1.)

On the cross Jesus quotes the beginning of Psalm 22,
"My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" Each
verse of Psalm 22 is made up of couplets-two phrases
linked together to make the meaning more clear and
powerful. Jesus' first spoken phrase (described in
yesterday's devotion) speaks of being cut off, abandoned,
and forsaken by His Father on account of our sins. At the
same time, however, it shows Him tightly holding to His
Father in faith: "My God, My God." The unspoken
second phrase of that couplet describes that
forsakenness. "Why are You so far from saving me, from
the words of My groaning?"

For hours Jesus has been groaning in pain on the cross.
And like the words of a prayer, those bitter groans have
been continually rising to His Father's throne. Yet those
silent prayers went unanswered, the pain and torment
continued. His back turned, the Father ignores His Son's
groaning, refusing to step in and bring an end to the bitter
pangs.

Often we find ourselves under heavy burdens in life, crying
out to God through our groaning and our tears. Yet, we do
not get the relief we so desperately seek. God seems far,
far away. He seems not to care, or He seems angry at us
for sins we have committed and the times we have been
unfaithful. But that is only how it appears to us. God
removed all our sins and laid them on Jesus in our place.
Jesus was truly cut off and forsaken so our Father would
never have to do that to us. Our sins are forgiven for His
sake. Thanks be to God for the Spirit's work in leading us
to repentance-and to faith.

THE PRAYER:

Lord Jesus Christ, sometimes we call upon You to save
us, to hear the words of our groaning, and You seem far
away. Remind us that You are our ever-present help in
times of trouble. Amen.

(Lenten Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries)