Pastor's Ponderings: Old Testament bible study of Psalm 22:19-31 (July 3, 2025)

July 3, 2025:  Thursday Bible Study on Old Testament of Psalm 22:19-31

Good morning and thank you for being with me this morning as we take on another Psalm text from the 22^nd Psalm.

You just received an extended list of prayer requests from me yesterday, so I am not going to add many to it. Today let’s pray that the effects of the "Big Beautiful Bill" will not be devastating for people in our nation with regards to health care costs, and aid programs upon which people depend.

 Though our reading of the Psalm passage for today seems long, its point is not overly complicated. In the first part of Psalm 22 we have a great deal of despair over the situations in which "David" finds himself. I suspect that some of this has to do with the kind of person that David was, a raucous raider, a defender of his territory and his people. He was faithful, yet in his life he acts with disregard for the LORD'S guidance. David finds himself as the elected king of God's people, when given power he sometimes  abuses it, and yet, he is faithful in the future that is his in the LORD'S fulfilling His promises to be David's defender and protector as the tribalism of David's time, and the threats of interlopers coming to destroy all that David has accomplished, and the dangers of David's defense of Israel.  The key here is that though things may not be what David had hoped for in the present time, David displays the confidence and trust of God that will be his in the future. I am confident that from time to time many of us have also felt threatened by the present circumstances in which we find ourselves. The ultimate one of these circumstances is the last worst enemy of every one of us, death! Every breath we take, every journey we make, draws us ever close to the reality of this enemy of ours. And yet, God has given us every reason, no matter what is happening to us today, to trust in the future which He has promised us through Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord. What this means is that we can continue to live in the present with confidence in the future promise of our loving God. Certainly, I would love to not have my own battle with cancer in my life in the current time, yet I know with confidence, no matter the outcome of this insidious disease now, my future is set and safe in Jesus Christ. So, no matter what comes in this life, I can act with confidence in the present time, because my future is secure with Christ my Lord. David faced plenty of tough times, some of his own making, and others which broke into his life from enemies of his reign, both at home, and from other nations. But his words of confidence in the future which God holds for him are certainly a sign of David's great faith in YHWH. (the LORD) So how do we live today? Like David we must act with confidence that no matter what comes our way now, God has our future in hand. This Psalm does not answer that question that may be lingering in your head. Isn't God acting in the present too? Absolutely! I see it in the simple things like driving into church and never catching a red light all the way, or in seeking the reason I have just caught every red light on my way to proclaim the Gospel. God is present and active in both of those experiences, accompanying me every day. He is actively in my present life, just as He is in yours, calling us to confession, offering us forgiveness, and preparing our future with Him in Heaven.

Just as we have the words of Jesus in Mark and Matthew in the beginning of this Psalm, we also have His words which speak to the future and what He will still be doing after His death and Resurrection. In the last third of this Psalm, we read and hear the confident words of our Savior. In the future He will proclaim God's great good will and steadfast love for His children in the midst of the congregation (His people). I pray for each of us that the legacy of our faith in the present will be a beacon of God's light, guiding those who remain after we are gone, to move into their own futures with confidence, just we have done. God is with us today, tomorrow, and always, showering our lives with His Love, and bringing to us the hope that surpasses all understanding.

Thank you for letting me share with you this morning. May the riches of God's present Grace help each of us to remain hopeful in His promised future! It is my great honor to be the means by which this passage can be shared.

With love in Christ, Pastor Kim