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“I know not whether any Psalm throughout the whole book contains matter more weighty, or from which the hearts of the godly can so truly perceive those sighs and groans, inexpressible by man, which their Lord and Head, Jesus Christ, uttered when conflicting for us in the midst of death, and in the midst of the pains and terrors of hell.”
Martin Luther
“For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
Romans 5:7-8 NASB
Let that sink in for a moment. God loved Jesus. He still loves Jesus. Yet, He allowed for Jesus to drink the full cup of His wrath and judgment – a suffering so horrifyingly comprehensive that none of us can understand the weight of it.
God loved us. He still loves us. Yet, often in this life, He allows for us to endure pain and suffering for His great glory. These truths are not the characteristics of Christianity you will hear in most Sunday sermons. Why? Because it turns people off. Who wants to suffer? Who wants to willingly endure pain in this life (especially in Western culture)? I’m authentic when I ask that question because I don’t want to suffer either!
The determining factor in trusting God during our most desperate situations is knowing that He is the God of deliverance. This is what David prayed for and it’s what this psalm foretold for Jesus. We will have suffering in this life whether we follow Jesus or not, but the comfort we can rest on is that God is always waiting, watching, and moving. He hears us and He has been faithful to deliver us time and time again.