From Desperation to Praise

Psalm 22:23-24

You who fear the LORD, praise Him! All you descendants of Jacob, honor Him! For He has not despised or detested the torment of the afflicted. He did not hide His face from him, but listened when he cried to Him for help.

David began this psalm in desperation but ended it in praise and gratitude. He praised God before He received his answer because he realized God had always heard his cry and had been good to him. While it may seem God is far away in our distress, He is actually near. He has answered in the past, He answers now, and He continues to save His people.

In this passage, David addressed the sons of Jacob. I find it interesting he did not use the term “sons of Abraham,” “sons of Isaac,” or “sons of Israel.” Indeed, the children of Israel were the sons of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, but he used the term, “sons of Jacob.” Jacob means, “Deceiver,” He was sly, cunning, and manipulative in getting his way. When we try to manipulate our own blessing and fall into the negative consequences, we can still cry out to God and turn from our sin. He hears our cry and delivers us from ourselves. We are to praise Him when things go wrong and trust He will come to our aid. He is near to us and just waiting for us to depend upon Him instead of trying to manipulate things in our own strength.

The Message Bible gives words of encouragement:

He has never let you down, never looked the other way when you were kicked around. He has never wandered off to do his own thing; he has been right there, listening.

God is right there with you today, listening to your cry. Surrender to Him in full dependence. Trust His unfailing love for you. Praise Him for what He has already done in your life, and praise Him for hearing you now. He will deliver, and He will save. That’s who He is – our good, good Father.

Have a blessed day!