Psalm 22 - The Contemplative Bible Meditation Series

Psalm 22,

A timeless treasure nestled in the sacred pages of the Bible,

Speaks across the chasm of time,

Resonating with the depths of human emotion and spiritual longing.

In this meditation we embark on a contemplative voyage through this poetic symphony,

Each verse a stepping stone guiding us to a place of comfort,

Peace and trust.

As we navigate the verses of this psalm,

Let us explore its significance in our modern lives drawing from its rich well of wisdom to enrich our daily experiences.

Psalm 22,

My God,

My God,

Why hast thou forsaken me?

Why art thou so far from helping me and from the words of my loathing?

O my God,

I cry in the daytime,

But thou hearest not,

And in the night season,

And am not silent.

For thou art holy,

O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.

Our fathers trusted in thee,

They trusted,

And thou didst deliver them.

They cried unto thee and were delivered,

They trusted in thee and were not confounded.

But I am a worm and no man,

A reproach of men and despised of the people.

All they that see me laugh me to scorn,

They shoot out the lip,

They shake the head,

Saying,

He trusted on the Lord that would deliver him,

Let him deliver him,

Seeing he delighted in him.

But thou art he that took me out of the womb,

Thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother's breast.

I was cast upon thee from the womb,

Thou art my God from my mother's belly.

Be not far from me,

For trouble is near,

For there is none to help.

Many bulls have come past me,

Strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round.

They gaped upon me with their mouths as a ravening and a roving lion.

I am poured out like water and all my bones are out of joint.

My heart is like wax,

It is melted in the mist of my bowels.

My strength is dried up like a potsherd and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws and thou hast brought me into the dust of death.

For dogs have come past me,

The assembly of the wicked have enclosed me,

They pierced my hands and my feet.

I may tell all my bones,

They look and stare upon me.

They part my garments among them and cast lots upon my vesture.

But be not thou far from me,

O Lord,

O my strength,

Haste thee to help me.

Cover my soul from the sword,

My darling,

From the power of the dog.

Save me from the lion's mouth,

For thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns.

I will declare thy name unto my brethren,

In the midst of the congregation will I praise thee.

Ye that fear the Lord,

Praise him,

All ye the seed of Jacob,

Glorify him and fear him,

All ye the seed of Israel.

For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted,

Neither hath he hid his face from him,

But when he cried unto him,

He heard.

My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation,

I will pay my vows before them that fear him.

The meek shall eat and be satisfied,

They shall praise the Lord that seek him,

Your heart shall live forever.

All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the Lord,

And all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee.

For the kingdom is the Lord's,

And he is the governor among the nations.

All they that be fat upon earth shall eat and worship,

All they that go down to the dust shall bow before him,

And none can keep alive his own soul.

A seed shall serve him,

It shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation.

They shall come and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born that he had done this.

Verse 1 My God,

My God,

Why hast thou forsaken me?

Why art thou so far from helping me and from the words of my roaring?

In our moments of despair and vulnerability,

We often find ourselves echoing this heartfelt cry.

Yet,

Even in the depths of darkness,

This verse teaches us the power of acknowledging our pain.

Allow yourself to express your feelings,

For in acknowledging them,

We open the door to healing.

Verse 2 Oh my God,

I cry in the daytime,

But thou hearest not,

And in the night season,

And am not silent.

Amidst life's tumultuous rhythms,

Our pleas may seem unheard,

Yet the act of crying out is a profound act of faith.

Just as the night follows day,

So too does dawn follow the night.

Verse 3 But thou art holy,

O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.

In the heart of chaos,

Remember that holiness that resides within you.

Take solace in the sanctuary of your own being,

For the divine is present in every breath,

In every beat of your heart.

Verse 4 Our fathers trusted in thee,

They trusted,

And thou didst deliver them.

History carries the whispers of faith,

Generations before us leaned into trust and found deliverance.

Reflect on the resilience of your forebearers,

Drawing strength from their unwavering faith as a wellspring of hope.

Verse 5 They cried unto thee,

And were delivered.

They trusted in thee,

And were not confounded.

With a heart full of faith,

Step into the river of surrender.

Allow yourself to release the weight of your burdens knowing that as you let go,

You make space for divine grace to flow into your life.

Verse 6 But I am a worm and no man,

A reproach of men and despised of the people.

In moments of self-doubt,

Remember your intrinsic worth.

Each tread in the tapestry of existence contributes to the whole.

Embrace your uniqueness and know that you are held in the arms of love.

Verse 7 All they that see me laugh to scorn,

They shoot out the lip,

They shake the head.

When the world's judgments pierce your soul,

Recall that you are not defined by external opinions.

Your value transcends appearances.

The true essence of your being shines brightly within.

Verse 8 Saying he trusted on the Lord that he would deliver him,

Let him deliver him,

Seeing he delighted in him.

Gaze upon the roots of your trust just as a tree draws nourishment from the earth.

Let your trust deepen in the fertile soil of your connection with the divine.

Verse 9 But thou art he that took me out of the womb.

Thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother's breast.

Reflect on your journey,

From the tender embrace of your mother's womb to this very moment.

In this continuum of existence,

Feel the divine presence always cradling you.

Verse 10 I was cast upon thee from the womb,

Thou art my God from my mother's belly.

Embrace your inherent condition with the divine.

From the earliest spark of life you were interwined with the sacred,

Recognize this bond as a wellspring of inner peace.

Verse 11 Be not far from me,

For trouble is near,

For there is none to help.

In the face of adversity,

Find solace in the closeness of the divine.

When challenges arise,

The presence of a higher power walks besides you,

Offering comfort and strength.

Verse 12 Many bulls have compassed me,

Strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round.

Life's trials may surround us like charging bulls,

Yet within our vulnerability lies resilience.

Just as a diamond emerges from pressure,

Your spirit can shine even amidst difficulties.

Verse 13 They gaped upon me with their mouths as a ravening and a loathing lion.

Recognize that adversity can manifest in various forms,

Often unexpected and intimidating.

Stand firm knowing that your spirit is fortified by the light within you.

Verse 14 I am poured out like water and all my bones are out of joint.

My heart is like wax,

It is melted in the mist of my bowels.

In moments of exhaustion and depletion,

Acknowledge the depth of your emotions.

Just as water flows,

So too can your tears become a cleansing balm for your soul.

Verse 15 My strength is dried up like a pot-shirt and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws,

And thou hast brought me into the dust of death.

Feel the ebb and flow of life's energies within you.

When weariness sets in,

Draw strength from your inner reservoir and lean into the wellspring of your faith.

Verse 16 For dogs have compassed me,

The assembly of the wicked have enclosed me,

They pierced my hands and my feet.

Amidst the pack of doubts and fears,

Remember that you are not alone.

The divine is a constant companion,

Offering solace and guidance in the midst of all of life's challenges.

Verse 17 I may tell all my bones,

They look and stare upon me.

When trials bring you to your knees,

Take stock of your essence,

Reflect on your experiences for each one shapes the masterpiece that is your journey.

Verse 18 They part my garments among them and cast lots upon my vesture.

Let go of the attachments that no longer serve you.

Just as garments are shed,

Release the weight of past burdens,

Making space for renewal.

Verse 19 Be thou not far from me,

O Lord,

O my strength,

Haste thee to help me.

In the dance of life,

Invoke the divine's presence.

Through every twist and turn,

Cultivate a relationship of trust,

Knowing that you are held in the arms of grace.

Verse 20 Deliver my soul from the sword,

My darling,

From the power of the dog.

In the crucible of challenges,

Seek refuge in the sanctuary of your soul.

Allow the divine's love to shield you,

Offering a despite from life's struggles.

Verse 21 Save me from the lion's mouth,

For thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns.

Confront your fears head on,

For within your heart is the courage to face the fiercest battles.

Trust that you possess the strength to overcome adversity.

Verse 22 I will declare thy name unto my brethren.

In the midst of the congregation will I praise thee.

Share the light of your journey with others.

Just as a candle's flame ignites another,

Your story has the power to inspire and uplift those around you.

Verse 23 Ye that fear the Lord,

Praise him,

All ye the seed of Jacob.

Glorify him and fear him,

All ye the seed of Israel.

Invite others to join in the symphony of praise in unity.

Find strength and create a harmonious tapestry of shared faith and reverence.

Verse 24 For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted,

Neither hath he hid his face from him.

But when he cried unto him,

He heard.

Know that your suffering is not disregarded by the divine.

Your experience,

Challenges,

And pain are acknowledged and held in tender regard.

Verse 25 My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation.

I will pay my vows before them that fear him.

Celebrate the beauty of life amidst the collective gathering.

Let your gratitude flow like a river,

Enriching the lives of those around you.

Verse 26 The meek shall eat and be satisfied.

They shall praise the Lord that seek him.

Your heart shall live forever.

Find nourishment in humility.

Embrace the quiet strength that resides within and allow it to sustain you on your journey.

Verse 27 All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the Lord,

And all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee.

Envision a world united in reverence and remembrance.

As you tread,

Your path contribute to the tapestry of connection that binds us all.

Verse 28 For the kingdom is the Lord's and he is the governor among the nations.

Surrender to the sovereignty of the divine trust that even amidst chaos,

There is a greater plan at work guiding your steps.

Verse 29 All that they be fat upon earth shall eat and worship.

All they that go down to the dust shall bow before him,

And none can keep alive his own soul.

In abundance or scarcity,

Remain rooted in gratitude.

Embrace the rhythm of life's cycles and find joy in both giving and receiving.

Verse 30 A seed shall serve him.

It shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation.

See yourself as a seed of faith growing towards the light.

Your actions and intentions,

Small or grand,

Contribute to the ever-expanding garden of divine connection.

Verse 31 They shall come and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born that he hath done this.

Imagine a chorus of voices proclaiming the wisdom of faith.

Your journey becomes a testament to the beauty of trust,

Inspiring others to follow the path of divine connection.

As we emerge from this meditation journey through Psalm 22,

Let us carry the essence of these verses with us.

Let the psalm remind us that in vulnerability lies strength,

In trust resides peace and in connection thrives hope.

May we navigate our lives with renewed understanding,

Embracing the assurance that we are never forsaken.

Let these timeless words be a beacon of light,

Guiding us to deeper relationships with ourselves,

With others and with the divine.

As we walk forward,

Let this prayer be our guide.

May I find solace in the embrace of the divine,

Drawing strength from the well of trust within my heart.

May my journey be a tapestry of faith,

Woven with threads of courage,

Hope and love.

May these deflections offer you comfort,

Peace and a renewed sense of connection.

Amen.