Scripture Verses
Matthew 27:45-49, Psalm 22:1-5, 22-24 (NIV)
45From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land. 46About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi,[a] lama sabachthani?"—which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"[b]
47When some of those standing there heard this, they said, "He's calling Elijah."
48Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink. 49The rest said, "Now leave him alone. Let's see if Elijah comes to save him."
Psalm 22:1-5
1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from saving me,
so far from the words of my groaning?
2 O my God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer,
by night, and am not silent.
3 Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One;
you are the praise of Israel. [a]
4 In you our fathers put their trust;
they trusted and you delivered them.
5 They cried to you and were saved;
in you they trusted and were not disappointed.
Psalm 22:22-24
22 I will declare your name to my brothers;
in the congregation I will praise you.
23 You who fear the LORD, praise him!
All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!
Revere him, all you descendants of Israel!
24 For he has not despised or disdained
the suffering of the afflicted one;
he has not hidden his face from him
but has listened to his cry for help.
Devotion
This had to be, without a doubt, the deepest valley of our Savior’s life. Jesus had been mocked, endured unbelievable physical torture, nailed to a wooden cross, and as a final indignity, displayed for all to see. These were indeed the most crucial six hours in the history of mankind. On that day, Jesus took the sin of all mankind upon his shoulders – even the sin of those that stood at the foot of his cross and mocked him.
Two weeks ago, I received notice that my job was being eliminated. One week later, to the day, my wife received notice that her job was being eliminated. After she had called me with the news, I remember sitting at my desk, looking out the window into the sky, and asking God, “Why are you doing this to us?” I am still not quite sure what the answer is, but what I do know is this: What Jesus did for me and everyone else on that afternoon on a hill called Skull was to provide us with a faith so strong that we know that we can endure any of life’s obstacles if only we will trust Him.
Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for giving us the strength to endure any obstacle. We thank you for the blessings that you have bestowed upon us including the friendships that have developed through our Christian walk. Most of all, we thank you for sacrificing your life so we may live with you forever. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
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