April 15

Morning

My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? — Ps 22:1 BSB

Here, we see the Savior in the depth of His sorrows. No other place reveals Christ's grief as clearly as Calvary, and no moment at Calvary is as full of agony as when His cry pierced the air: "My God, my God, why have You forsaken me!" At that moment, physical weakness was combined with intense mental anguish from the shame and humiliation He endured. To make it even worse, He experienced spiritual agony beyond description because His Father’s presence had departed. This was the darkest moment of His suffering; He was descending into the deepest pit of pain.

No one can fully grasp the meaning of those words. Some of us think at times that we could cry, "My God, my God, why have You forsaken me!" There are moments when the brightness of our Father’s smile is hidden by clouds and darkness, but we must remember that God never truly abandons us. It only feels like abandonment, but in Christ’s case, it was real. We feel pain when God seems distant, but who can measure the depth of the agony Christ endured when God actually turned away from His own Son? In our case, our cry often comes from unbelief; in His case, it was the expression of a terrible reality, for God truly turned away from Him for a time.

Oh, you troubled soul, who once lived in the warmth of God’s presence but now feels abandoned—remember, He has not truly forsaken you. The God who is hidden in the clouds is still the same God who shines brightly in grace. But if even the thought of His absence causes us agony, imagine the overwhelming sorrow of the Savior when He cried, "My God, my God, why have You forsaken me!"

Evening

Save Your people and bless Your inheritance; shepherd them and carry them forever. — Ps 28:9 BSB

God’s people need to be lifted up. By nature, they are weighed down. They have no wings, or if they do, they’re like the dove that once lay among the pots. They need God’s grace to lift them up on wings covered with silver and feathers of gold. Naturally, sparks fly upward, but the sinful souls of men fall downward. Oh Lord, “lift them up forever!”

David himself said, “To You, O God, I lift up my soul,” and here he recognizes that others need the same lifting up. When you ask for this blessing for yourself, don’t forget to ask for it for others too.

There are three ways God’s people need to be lifted up.

They need to be lifted up in character. Lift them up, Lord; don’t let Your people be like the rest of the world! The world lies in the hands of the wicked one—lift them out of it! The people of this world chase after silver, gold, and their own pleasures. But Lord, lift Your people above all of that. Keep them from being like the “muck-raker,” as John Bunyan describes the man who was always digging for gold! Set their hearts on their risen Lord and their heavenly inheritance!

Believers also need to be victorious in battle. When they seem to fall, Lord, give them the victory. If the enemy’s foot is on their necks for a moment, help them pick up the sword of the Spirit and ultimately win the fight. Lord, lift Your children’s spirits in the day of struggle. Don’t let them sit in the dust and mourn forever. Don’t let the enemy torment them and cause them to lose heart. And if they’ve been persecuted like Hannah, let them sing of Your delivering mercy.

Lastly, we can ask the Lord to lift them up at the end! Lift them by bringing them home. Lift their bodies from the grave and raise their souls to Your eternal kingdom in glory!