Psalm 22

1-8
Real life can be hard at times …..

Faith begins with the recognition of another dimension there with God: BUT YOU!

Not just A god. God in His holiness is self defining. The God of Israel is the Creator, known through His promises and His past deeds. He is not under our control. He brings His own presence, purpose & power.

‘BUT YOU’ Faith is not defined from the culture and context we are in, but redefines for us our environment. It adds the DNA of the presence of God. This is why church can find expression in so many different ways. We need to recognize that there are many ways of expressing church. What matters is the defining presence of the DNA of holiness.

9-18
Baptism is the door into a new identity. By discovering our identity is in Christ, we recognize the amazing agenda that God has for us to shape and form us for our destiny as His children.

That agenda might not be easy. This psalm is amazing, in that it speaks in advance of what will happen to a ‘seed of David’ – a descendent, Jesus Christ. It speaks of His crucifixion, and of what He will experience at the cross. Amazingly, it even senses the sharing of His clothes at His crucifixion.

To be taken up in the purposes of God does not mean that we will have an easy life. God has His eye on maturing, preparing and perfecting sons and daughters for eternity.

19-31
But faith is not just about recognition that there is a God there. It is also about this invitation for this God to draw close. We recognize that there might well be hard times, but these come for a purpose that God has in mind. He looks into the present and also in the future. And this is what He comes to us for.

For this is one of the resurrection psalms. It looks forward to what will come. When God will take people from the dust of the earth and bring them into His future.

Prayer needs the readiness to have our request changed in the light of God.