They cried to you and were saved; in you they trusted and were not disappointed. —Psalm 22:5.
This Psalm that begins with despair and is referred to by Jesus from the Cross, is also a Psalm of hope and faith. The history of God’s faithfulness with his people, Israel, is an ongoing reminder that we can trust him to deliver us despite the worst circumstances. In our human reckoning of time, God’s answer may seem slow in coming, yet God’s track record through history reminds us that the Lord will answer, deliver, and bless his people in heaven’s time. Nevertheless, in our worst nightmares, we can be reminded that God is faithful and attentive to our cries of despair, lament, grief, agony, and fear. What happened to Jesus on the cross didn’t end with the feelings of despair and abandonment of Psalm 22:1, but with the triumph of Psalm 22:23-24: