Psalm 22:1-2: My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?
Why are You so far from my deliverance
and from my words of groaning?^[b]
2 My God, I cry by day, but You do not answer,
by night, yet I have no rest. (HCSB)

2 Timothy 4:16-17: At my first defense, no one stood by me, but   everyone deserted me. May it not be counted against them. ¹⁷ But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that the proclamation might be fully made through me and all the Gentiles might hear. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. (HCSB)

I am sitting here in the quiet of the morning, drinking my coffee, and pondering on a story I recently read.  Two girls had memorized the last words of Jesus and had taken some of Jesus’ final words to describe their lives.  One had chosen Luke 23:34 “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they’re doing” (HCSB).  She lived her life that way, never carrying anger or bitterness and always being quick to forgive.  The other girl chose Matthew 27:46 “My God, My God, why have You forsaken me?” (HCSB).   She had led a difficult life.  She had a father who was physically abusive to her mother and verbally and emotionally abusive to her.  She lived in poverty in an area where poverty was considered a character flaw.  She was bi-racial, and her grandparents considered that a sin and refused to acknowledge her existence.  I look at her life and think that I can understand how she would feel that God had abandoned her.  She did carry anger, had lots of bitterness, and refused to forgive.  She began to live her life by the oft quoted “scripture” that isn’t even scripture at all — God helps those that help themselves.  In the end, she realized that You had always been there.  You had protected her from certain situations.  You had sent people into her life at certain times.  Her new scripture became Matthew 28:20 “I am always with you.”  Lord, my life has been nothing like that girl’s life.  I’ve never been abused, or lived in poverty or been considered a walking sin.  But, there have been many times when I too asked “why have You forsaken me?”  Lord, I sit here with my empty coffee cup and a humble heart.  You have been so good to me.  I need to be like David and say “Even if my mother and father abandon me, the Lord cares for me (Psalm 27:10, HCSB), but often I am more like David in Psalm 22:1-2 asking why.  2Timothy 4:16-17 says that even when I feel abandoned by other people, You are always there.   1 Peter 5:7 tells me to give You all my worries because You care for me.  Father God, please help me to abandon Matthew 27:46 as my mind set and replace it with Deuteronomy 31:8 “The Lord is the One who will go before you. He will be with you; He will not leave you or forsake you. Do not be afraid or discouraged.” (HCSB)