March 10, 2025: He Answers

“You have answered Me” (Psalm 22:21b).

Dear Praying Friends:

Coming two-thirds of the way through Psalm 22, this bold declaration of faith completely changes the tone of David’s prayer, from “Save Me from the lion’s mouth and from the horns of the wild oxen!” to, “I will declare Your name to My brethren; in the midst of the assembly I will praise You” (22:21a, 22).

The New King James Version capitalizes “Me” and “My,” in recognition of the traditional interpretation of this psalm as explicitly messianic because Jesus quoted the opening line, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me” on the cross (Matthew 27:46).

We see here Jesus’ horrific suffering for us as a substitutionary sacrifice and his profound sympathy for us in our temptations. More than those priceless realities, however, we also see Jesus’ glorious victory over death and his present power to save us from temptation, sin, and eternal destruction.

So, whatever our challenges, troubles, or pain, this Jesus is with us! We can pray with confidence that he has heard us and will bring us all the way through to everlasting life with God and his people in a new heaven and new earth.

For your prayers: Please ask God to

• Trust in God even amid extreme trouble.
• Help me to finish preparing my two talks and to deal with all the things that must be done before I leave.

“Many are the afflictions of the righteous [by faith], but the LORD delivers him out of them all" (Psalm 34:19; another messianic psalm).

Yours in his presence and power,
Wright