Have you ever felt forsaken by God? Jesus did. As He hung on the cross, suffering for our sin, He asked God why He had forsaken Him. Some theologians consider Psalm 22 to be a prophetic Psalm about Jesus’ time on the cross, and it does correlate to much that Jesus said during the crucifixion. It can still be applied directly to our lives, because we sometimes feel forsaken, as Jesus did.

Psalm 22 (NIV) also says that the psalmist still trusts in God and believes he will be delivered, despite feeling forsaken. In verse 19 he says, But you, Lord, do not be far from me. You are my strength; come quickly to help me. This teaches us that we don’t have to deny our feelings, but neither do we have to let them control us. Living according to feelings makes for a defeated and miserable life.

In the midst of suffering, David says, I will declare your name to my people; in the assembly I will praise you (Psalm 22:22 NIV). I believe his saying “I will” is based not on his feelings but on his decision to praise God. Sadly, many Christians still behave according to the way they feel. They walk in the flesh (human nature without God), not in the Spirit, and they remain carnal. Feelings are fickle and ever changing, and although we will always have them, we must not trust them but instead put our trust in God’s Word.