Sermon - "He Trusted in God"

March 13, 2013
Psalm 22
“He Trusted in God”


[note to classmates/blog readers – this introduction before I read Psalm 22 was to get the congregation all on the same page. The Lenten theme is selections from Handel’s Messiah. Six pieces were chosen and each week the Lenten service starts with chanting Psalm 51, confession, communion, offering, Prayers, and lastly the scripture reading and meditation followed by the listening of the selected piece for the evening. The service concludes in silence. Hope this helps get you in the right place to partially “get” what is happening in this service/sermon.]


Tonight we gather on the fourth Wednesday in Lent and present another piece from Handel's masterful work of music. If you think back to Comfort ye my people and For unto us a child is born – the music was a little peppy and upbeat. Toe tapping and almost head bobbing beats. Last week we meditated on the piece Behold the Lamb of God and the music is beginning to slow down. Tonight when it is time, listen for the deep dark tones of this piece. It isn’t necessarily slow in tempo but it certainly carries a low, deep, darker tone. We are in the middle of Lent and we all know that it is impossible to get to Easter and the empty tomb without first pausing on Good Friday and remembering the event on the cross. Our music selection for tonight is He Trusted in God. The chorus comes from Psalm 22 verse 8 and the tenor sings a modified variation of verse 7:

Read Psalm 22 as printed in the ELW (1-31)


I want you to think with me back to a time before cell phones and texting and even before computers and emails. For some of you teenagers and even younger than that you won’t be able to imagine a world without such technology, but just hang in there with me for a moment. Let’s think for a moment that you have just checked the mail box (snail mail as we now call it) and a letter has arrived. When you open the letter you know immediately who it is from by the way the letter is addressing you. My dearest mother, or Dear John, Dear sir or how about my dearest Rebecca. You know because you have heard it before. You know because it is a repeated pattern between you and the writer. Fast forward to today, we can probably say the same thing about our cell phones and emails. When that certain text or ring tone comes in you know who it is from and most likely what it is about based on the sound.

We just heard Psalm 22 and its opening address is one that we have become quite familiar with -

My God My God Why have you forsaken me?

We all know these words and most likely we know these words because they are written in the Gospels of Matthew and Mark as they record these words as being among the last words of Christ on the cross. The question is did you know these words belong here, were first spoken here in the opening of Psalm 22? Psalm 22 found in the Old Testament before Jesus was born.

We hear these words as Christ’s words yet tonight as we are trudging along in the middle of this Lenten season – not yet to the cross not even close enough to get a glimpse of the empty tomb, we hear these words –
My God My God why have you forsaken me?

Who then speaks these words? Who then is addressing God in this bold, honest accusatory way?

There are a couple of options for us tonight. Historically it has been noted that this particular Psalm is one written by King David. It could be King David during several different times of trial. Persecution by Paul or maybe David’s flight from Absalom. Whatever the exact situation, David is in a dark time. David is feeling hopeless, alone and abandoned by God. We hear David complain for several versus –
I cry out to you but you do not answer.
I am a worm and not human.
Trouble is near and there is no one to help me.

If this round of complaints isn’t harsh enough, David starts in again with a second round of complaints.
I am poured out like water,
My strength is dried up,
my tongue is stuck to the roof of my mouth.

[WOW] – David is really in a dark dark place. He seems desperate. Can you feel his pain? Can you feel the heaviness of his words? It is as if David is right here in this room. We can feel his pain, we can see his torment. I know I want to yell out on his behalf – Save him from the lion’s mouth!

David cannot get any lower at this point. He says to God, ‘you have laid me in the dust of death.’

Can it get much worse? How will this end? Can there be new life for David?

Then the Psalm takes a turn, rather it is as if David catches a second wind or the Spirit perhaps moves over him and his complaints turn to petitions –
o my help hasten to my aid,
Deliver me from the sword,
save me from the lion’s mouth.

And then new life - David has been saved, brought back from the brink of death
From the horns of wild bulls you have rescued me.
I will declare your name to my people.
And on and on David praises God and finally ends –
“The Lord has acted!”

It is important that we hear this Psalm from David’s perspective to get a glimpse into the historical context of which these familiar words came. These words are not just familiar to us, his Psalm had to have been familiar – more than familiar – memorized and tucked into the heart of Christ for in his darkest hour this Psalm is what he draws from. This Psalm gives Christ dying on the cross the opportunity to bare his dark soul to God. For a moment Christ is bold, honest even accusatory and one more time speaks as a man.

My God My God why have you forsaken me?

This Psalm remarkably foretells of Christ’s resurrection and so it is equally important for us to hear this Psalm in Christ’s voice as well. For both King David and Jesus even in their dark time, even on the brink of death, they both return to verse 8
‘ Trust in the Lord, let the Lord deliver, let God rescue him if God so delights in him.’

And God does indeed rescue them both. You see sometimes we have to be on the brink of death and some of us actually have to die to ourselves or at least parts of our selves have to die so that new life can come.

If we trust in God, he will deliver us.

Who else could be the voice in this Psalm? Could it be you? Has it been you? Does this Psalm speak to your soul, of your soul. Where do you find yourself this evening as we continue on our way through Lent. Just another average day? Hard to focus – let’s just get to Easter – it’s way more fun and I’m ready to eat chocolate again! I sure wish winter would be on its way…

Maybe you are in a great place in your life right now, and know there is no reason to feel bad about that. But hear this, when grief and anguish do strike – because they will – give yourself permission to move from that place of darkness at what ever pace you need to move to get back into the light.

Sometimes it takes a long time to move from that darkness into light and that is ok. Just like King David in the midst of your complaining there will be a moment when the Spirit will move over you and remind you to Trust in God that suddenly the darkness will lighten and you will be made new.

Even Handle makes us wait a long time before we get the Hallelujah chorus! So this evening before we move into meditation on our musical selection, I want you to hear Psalm 22 again from a different voice than that of King David or Jesus. I am not sure whose voice this will be for you – I don’t know who might have sent this letter – but you will…



O God, why have You left me?
Why are You so far from me?
I can no longer feel You near.
I reach desperately for You,
But I cannot find You.

I know You are holy and all-righteous
and everywhere present,
The saints of past years believed in You
and trusted You.
You responded to their cries.
They sought You, and they found You.
It is no wonder that Your praises
were constantly on their lips.

But I feel as empty and insignificant
as a bag full of wind.
I don’t really expect people’s plaudits,
but I so sorely feel their criticisms.
I risk all in following
what I feel to be Your will for me;
yet even my friends fail to support me,
and they actually turn against me,
“He thinks he’s doing God’s will,” they say.
“But he’ll be sorry he made that decision.”

I believe that You have been with me
from the very beginning of my life.
I know that You have cared for me
through these many years.
But, God, I need You now.
I am in trouble,
and I can’t find You or feel You near.
At this moment, I feel as if I am falling apart.
Nothing seems to make sense anymore.
Everything I attempt ends in failure.
I feel inferior and weak.
Those I have tried to serve
are actually gloating
over my flops and failures.
I know, O God, that much of it
is a matter of my foolish feelings.
The fact is, You are not far off.
You know both my feelings and my failings.
Yet You love me and accept me.
You will save me – even from myself.

Thus I will continue to sing Your praises.
In spite of or in scorn of my feelings,
I will celebrate Your loving presence.
As despicable as I may feel at times,
you do not despise me. Neither will You leave me.
Your love is personal, and it is eternal.

Nor will You despise or ignore the afflictions
that plague Your many sons and daughters.
Your children and servants are precious to You.
Even when they fail You, You never fail them.
You hear their cries and feel their pain
and are ever ready to support them
in their conflicts.

I dedicate myself anew to You, O Lord.
I will serve You
whatever the cost of the consequence.
You are my God.
Regardless of my feelings
of insignificance and inadequacy,
I will praise Your name and proclaim Your love
to people all around me.

~ Psalm 22
Psalms Now by Leslie F. Brandt