April 11

Morning

I am poured out like water, and all my bones are disjointed. My heart is like wax; it melts away within me. — Ps 22:14 BSB

Did earth or heaven ever witness a more sorrowful sight than this? In both soul and body, our Lord felt as weak as water poured out on the ground. The act of placing the cross in its socket must have shaken Him violently, straining every ligament, paining every nerve, and partially dislocating His bones. The weight of His own body burdened Him as He hung, each moment intensifying His agony during those six long hours. His sense of faintness and weakness became overpowering, leaving Him in a state of misery and sickness.

When Daniel saw his great vision, he described his reaction: "There remained no strength in me; my vigor was turned to frailty, and I retained no strength." How much more intense must have been the experience of our greater Prophet, Jesus, when He saw the terrifying vision of God's wrath and felt it within His soul!

What Christ endured would have overwhelmed any of us, and merciful unconsciousness would have rescued us from the pain. But in His case, He remained fully conscious, feeling the sharpness of every wound, draining the cup of suffering, and tasting every bitter drop.

O King of grief! O King of wounds—how can I grieve for You enough? As we kneel before our ascended Savior’s throne, let us never forget the way He made that throne a seat of grace for us. Let us, in spirit, drink from His cup, so that we may be strengthened for our own times of suffering, whenever they come. Just as His natural body endured all manner of suffering and was gloriously raised, so too will His spiritual body, the Church, emerge from the furnace without even the smell of fire upon it.

Evening

Consider my affliction and trouble, and take away all my sins. — Ps 25:18 BSB

It is good when prayers about our sorrows are linked with pleas concerning our sins—when, under God’s discipline, we are not consumed only by our pain but remember our offenses against Him. It is wise to bring both sorrow and sin to the same place. David took his sorrow to God, and he confessed his sin to the same God.

We must take our sorrows to God. Even the smallest of our troubles can be laid before Him, for He cares for every hair on our heads. And the greatest of our sorrows can also be brought to Him, for He holds the vast oceans in His hand. Whatever your current trouble is, go to Him—you will find Him both able and willing to relieve you.

We must also take our sins to God. Carry them to the cross, where the blood of Jesus can fall upon them, removing their guilt and breaking their power.

The special lesson in this text is to approach the Lord with both sorrow and sin in the right spirit. Notice that David’s prayer about his sorrow is simple: "Look upon my affliction and my pain." But his next request is much more direct and specific: "Forgive all my sins!"

Many sufferers would have reversed the order, asking God to remove their pain before addressing their sin. But not David. He essentially says, "Lord, do with my pain as You see fit. I would love for You to take it away, but I trust Your wisdom. But as for my sins, Lord, I know exactly what I need—forgiveness! I cannot bear the burden of guilt even for a moment!"

A Christian values relief from sin more than relief from suffering. We can bear the weight of affliction, but we cannot endure the burden of our transgressions.