Why have you forsaken me?

November 15, 2010 Monday Message:

“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Jesus spoke these words from the cross during the final moments of his earthly life. But what you may not remember is that he was quoting King David, a man after God’s own heart, from Psalm 22:1a.

David prayed these words when his son Absalom, through lies and deceit, took over the throne of Israel. David found himself exiled from his own country, the country where he rightfully should have still been king. And yet Absalom was his son; David didn’t want to have to kill his own son to regain the throne. But Absalom was at the heart of the conspiracy. How could David reconcile this tension? How could things have gotten so messed up? Where was God when everything seemed to turn against David?

I believe the entire Bible is true, inspired words given to us by God. But as we read God’s word, it’s important to consider context and perception. The truth in this verse is that David felt alone. So much had been going wrong in his life for so long, that David truly felt abandoned. He hadn’t given up on God, but David felt far from God at that time. On the cross, bearing the sins of the world, Jesus felt far from the Father too. That was their perception.

So where did God go? The truth is that God is omnipresent; God is everywhere at all times. So God doesn’t go away. God doesn’t play tricks and try to hide from David, and God didn’t abandon his Son on the cross. God is always there, right where He’s always been. It’s us, you and I, who, in times of trouble, often turn away from God. When things go well it’s easy to sense the presence of God. When things don’t go well, we need realign ourselves, focusing on the Lord with extra diligence. We need to turn and face the light. And for us, Jesus is the light of the world.

God will always be right there when we need him, right where he’s supposed to be. That’s what the Bible says.

Norton Lawellin