“All the ends of the earth shall remember
    and turn to the Lord,
and all the families of the nations
    shall worship before you.
For kingship belongs to the Lord,
    and he rules over the nations” (Psalms 22:27–28; all Scripture quotations are from the English Standard Version).

God’s dominion extends to all nations. It extends to all people. It guides the perspective of His people. When we know God is in control and loves us, it allows us to see our circumstances from an eternal perspective.

Some of the Old Testament psalms illustrate this. Many believers read Psalm 22 as a messianic psalm. They look at all of the ways this psalm prefigures or reminds us of Jesus. However, it is also helpful to read it from King David’s perspective. When he wrote Psalm 22, he was thinking about his own difficulties and conflicts. Like many similar psalms, it begins with a negative, almost complaining tone. One could think he lost all faith in God:

“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
    Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?
O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer,
    and by night, but I find no rest” (Psalms 22:1–2).

These verses should look familiar. Jesus repeated the first line while He was dying on the cross (Matthew 27:46), and it is possible that He recited the entire psalm. Whether David was consciously prophesying the coming Messiah or not, Jesus definitely found the psalm appropriate and relevant to His circumstances while on the cross. Yet, even though it could feel like His Father had forsaken Him, Jesus did not give in to despair. He kept a perspective of faith and trust, finally committing His Spirit to His Father’s hands (Luke 23:46). He looked beyond the pain, agony, and humiliation of the cross to the perfect divine will it would accomplish:

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:1–2).

When David wrote this psalm, he was thinking of his own problems. We do not know when he wrote it. It could have been during his youth, when King Saul was pursuing him and trying to kill him. Or, it could have been later in his life, when his son Absalom tried to overthrow the government, forcing David to flee for his life. Whatever the circumstances, at the beginning of the psalm, he felt totally abandoned by God.

God is always present and in control even when He seems to be absent. Jesus knew this, and was able to surrender His Spirit into the hands of His Father. David realized this. Even though he began the psalm by expressing doubts about God’s love and presence, he proceeded to pray from faith. He would describe his pain and the abuse he was suffering (e.g., vv. 6–8), but intersperse reminders of God’s care, power, and protection throughout (vv. 3–5, 22–31).

God had watched over David since his childhood.

“Yet you are he who took me from the womb;
    you made me trust you at my mother’s breasts.
On you was I cast from my birth,
    and from my mother’s womb you have been my God.
Be not far from me,
    for trouble is near,
    and there is none to help” (Psalms 22:9–11).

David knew that God had protected and provided for him so far. He could still trust Him. We can still trust Him. He is always present and always in control:

“Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you’” (Hebrews 13:5).

“And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.… And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age’” (Matthew 28:18, 20).

God preserved David. He rescued him from King Saul’s murderous plots. He restored him to the throne after Absalom had grabbed control. David would eventually die of old age.

God resurrected Jesus. Even when everything seemed finished, God raised Him from the dead.

God is in control of your circumstances too. Even when things look hopeless, He is able to restore you. Bring your complaints to God like David did. He can handle it. Be brutally honest about your feelings. At the same time, though, remember how He has helped you in the past. He is sovereign over all of your days.

Copyright © 2020 Michael E. Lynch. All rights reserved.