Psalm 22:9-11

Continuing in Psalm 22 - Thoughts by Spurgeon - My thoughts in parentheses -Written Spring 1999

9 But thou art he that took me out of the womb. - "Kindly providence attends with the surgery of tenderness at every human birth; but the Son of Man, who was marvelously begotten of the Holy Ghost, was in an especial manner watched over by the Lord when brought forth by Mary. The destitute state of Joseph and Mary, far away from friends and
home, led them to see the cherishing hand of God in the safe delivery of the mother, and the happy birth of the child; that Child now fighting the great battle of his life, uses the mercy of his nativity as an argument with God. Faith finds weapons everywhere...."

(Yes, many times I have felt like I was dying, but You were KEEPING me!)

Thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother's breasts. - "Early piety gives peculiar comfort in our after trials, for surely he who loved us when we were children is too faithful to cast us off in our riper years..Some give the text the sense of "gave me cause to trust, by keeping me safely," and assuredly there was a special providence which preserved our Lord's infant days from the fury of Herod, the dangers of traveling, and the ills of poverty."

10 I was cast upon thee from the womb. - "Into the Almighty arms he was first received, as into those of a loving parent. This is a sweet thought. God begins his care over us from the earliest hour. We are dandled upon the knee of mercy, and cherished in the lap of goodness; our cradle is canopied by divine love, and our first totterings are guided by his care.

Thou art my God from my mother's belly. - "Our birth was our weakest and most perilous period of existence; if we were then secured by Omnipotent tenderness, surely we have no cause to suspect that divine goodness will fail us now. He who was our God when we left our
mother, will be with us till we return to mother earth, and will keep us from perishing in the belly of hell."

11 Be not far from me; - "His great woe was that God had forsaken him, his great prayer is that he would be near him. A lively sense of the divine presence is a mighty stay to the heart in times of distress.

For trouble is near; for there is none to help. - "Our Substitute had trouble in his inmost heart, for he said, "the waters have come in, even unto my soul;"...all his disciples had forsaken him, and lover and friend were put far from him. There is an awfulness about
absolute friendlessness which is crushing to the human mind, for man was not made to be alone, and is like a dismembered limb when he has to endure heart-loneliness."

(There is none to help, Lord...only You. YOU understand my LONELINESS-loneliness not only because others don't seem to understand the "torment" I'm going through, but ALSO loneliness because most do not understand my deep longing for spiritual conversation. Jan
Markell's poem from her book, Waiting For A Miracle, p 50, says it well.)

Nobody Else Will Listen, Lord

I had a monumental need today, Lord.
I needed someone to talk to.
I needed a conversation that went beyond
my neighbor's rose bushes, or
last night's election results.
Such a paradox it seems,
to be surrounded by people,
to have their voices vibrating through me,
to be numb from shaking hands,
to hurt from smiling...
and yet to feel alone.
Alone because conversations
center on things of insignificance for eternity.
Because conversations focus on
the high cost of living
and not on the Giver of life.
Yes, alone in a crowd,
But never alone, Lord,
for You listen
even if I ramble and make little sense,
or if I can't quite explain myself,
or if I am redundant
and never get to the point.
Thank You, Father,
for being my Companion,
Confidant,
and Counselor,
And for listening, when all the world
Is caught up with the fun and games of life,
Too busy with yesterday's sports results
To listen to a needy soul.

Amen.

-Jan Markell
(Used with permisson)