As my unmanaged chronic pain escalated on top of needed caregiving tasks, with long travel to help loved ones, and grief in losing a loved one…all at the same time…our Lord had already been inviting me to study the Psalms through my daily Bible reading plan. This time, He’d prompted me to study each one through the lens of my suffering Savior singing them in His earthly life. Because we already know…the Psalms were Jesus’ songbook on earth.
His words of lament are now ours, as we suffer and cry to our Father.
Along with our suffering Savior, as He suffers with us, offering us hope.
As we ponder the time of Christ’s worst earthly agony as He suffered in our place on the cross, I’m clinging to my beloved suffering Savior Jesus in my cries, by clinging to His song of Psalm 22.
Jesus sings a solo suffering song of lament to God
My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? (Ps. 22:1 BSB, cited Mt. 27:46; Mk. 15:34)
Precious Jesus, your solo song of lament was the first time You sang solo to God. You had to call Him “my God.” You couldn’t call Him “Abba Father” in that moment. Because You were forsaken, abandoned, alone. Why? You suffered this worst pain in my place, bearing my sin’s deserved penalty, separated from our Father. So that I never would be.
Ah, holy Jesus, how have You offended?
(“Ah, holy Jesus, how hast Thou offended,” Heermann, J., 1630)
My suffering Savior cries, unable to sleep, judged and shamed on the cross, by crowds of people
Precious Jesus, this could have been Your suffering song of lament:
I cry out by day, O my God, but You do not answer,
and by night, but I have no rest (Ps. 22:2 BSB)…
That mortal judgment has on You descended?
My suffering Savior turns around in His suffering song of lament and hope!
Lord Jesus, turn me around through Your songs of lament and hope. Remind me of the truths of who You are, the One who is now enthroned on my praises, the One I can trust, the One whose life, death, and resurrection have now set me free.
As it is written: “See, I lay in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense; and the one who believes in Him will never be put to shame” (Rom. 9:33 BSB).
Take my disappointments as I rest them in the hope You’ve given me.
And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us (Rom. 5:5 BSB).
Who was the guilty? Who brought this upon You?
Alas, my treason, Jesus, has undone You!
‘Twas I, Lord Jesus, I it was denied You;
I crucified You.
My suffering Savior, the great I AM, became a worm crushed by the abuse of other people
By foes derided, by Your own rejected,
O most afflicted!
All who see me mock me; they sneer and shake their heads:
“He trusts in the Lord, let the Lord deliver him; let the Lord rescue him, since He delights in him” (Ps. 22:6-8 BSB, cited Mt. 27:43).
Lo, the Good Shepherd for the sheep is offered;
the slave hath sinned, and the Son hath suffered…
And those who passed by heaped abuse on Him, shaking their heads and saying, “Aha! You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, come down from the cross and save Yourself!” (Mk. 15:29 BSB)…
…for our atonement, while we nothing heeded,
God interceded.
My suffering Savior’s songs are those of my elder Brother, to our heavenly Father
And a voice from heaven said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased!” (Mt. 3:17 BSB).
Lord Jesus, did you remember those audible words from our Father? Did this memory encourage You as You suffered? Did You remember Your song lyrics?
For me, kind Jesus, was Your incarnation,
Your mortal sorrow, and Your life’s oblation;
Your death of anguish and Your bitter passion,
for my salvation.
Only You can help me, my suffering Savior
In this fallen world’s inevitable suffering, draw me close to You as I re-ponder Your suffering in my place, blessed Savior. Help me to cry to You as the One who sang Your cries too.
All.
For me.
Therefore, kind Jesus, since I cannot pay You,
I do adore You, and will ever pray You,
think on Your pity and Your love unswerving,
not my deserving.
Amen and amen.
A playlist gift of suffering songs of lament and hope, singing to Jesus, our suffering Savior
Precious sister in Christ, I know you’re hurting too. In all the sufferings and various forms of tribulation in this world, we both have a Savior who understands far better than anyone else. And He’s drawing us close right now. Does this Scripture echo your heart’s prayer?
I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to Him in His death (Phil. 3:10 BSB).
Beloved, He’s answering our prayer as we suffer, isn’t He? Let’s sing to Jesus, as we cry to Him in lament and hope, with adoration for who He is and what He’s done for us. Just as He did with our Father.
If this would bless you, sign up below, and my weekly playlist gifts will come to your email as a sister in Christ who also suffers.
To read more of Lauri’s writing, you can use her devotional Bible study lament prayer journals: Praying God’s Promises Into Suffering, or Near to God: A Devotional Bible Study of God’s Character as We Suffer, or Singing the Gospel to Job: Finding Hope in Suffering. In the Valleys of God’s Love is written for children aged 3-8, a perfect read for grandparents, parents, and children to share together, preparing them for suffering to come.
Arriving April 7!
For an advanced excerpt of 31 days of Scripture prayers for the hardest days, join our launch team! Contact me for the link to join! In Christ’s love, Lauri
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