The words, “my God, my God, why have you forsaken me” in Psalm 22 echo at the cross, where Jesus experienced what John of the Cross would describe as the “dark night of the soul.” It is the moment in which we experience the silence of God’s voice, the absence of His presence, and a feeling and sense of abandonment.
It is a time filled with darkness, pain, and hardship. Yet, we are reminded that resurrection cannot come without difficulty, pain, and death. Those things are necessary for resurrection. These hardships and rough waters are inevitable on this side of heaven. But even rough waters eventually calm, and storms pass.
And when the storms pass, the waters calm, and the dark night turns to dawn. We are reminded that although we felt abandoned and alone, we weren’t. For you see, God was forming us, changing us, drawing us closer to Him all along the way. And when we quiet our souls, and we look upon the calm waters, we hear the words of the Psalmist, “you brought me out of the womb, and you made me trust in you.” (Psalm 22:9) The Psalmist understands that God is trustworthy, for our God holds on all things together; He is trustworthy and good.
So, in a world that seems so dark at the moment, may we remain steadfast in Him and help usher in the dawn, for we know, He holds all things together.