Anxiety

From Despair to Praise

How do you respond when everything in life seems to be going badly? Can you find any hope for good? In Ps. 22:1–18, David cried out to God with anxiety and despair. He felt:

• abandoned and helpless;
• ignored;
• despised and rejected;
• ridiculed for his faith;
• taunted by vicious enemies;
• drained and on the verge of death; and
• surrounded by a murderous mob.

However, like Job at the end of his sufferings, David was able to affirm that God was still near and capable of delivering him (22:19–20; compare Job 42:1–6). As a result, despite the injuries and insults he had suffered, he came back from the brink of despair. He was able to praise God before his family, his countrymen, and ultimately the entire world (22:22–28).

To whom do you turn when things go badly? As with David, the God who created you wants to join with you in your worst times. He is willing to walk with you all the way through the “valley of the shadow of death” (23:4).