To Whom will I call as my heart cries out from Loneliness?

To Whom will I call as my heart cries out from loneliness?

To many these words appear as a rhetorical plea that has no merit.  We are told that when an empty vessel becomes useless from nothing to replace its refreshment, call on the proprietor of the property and ask for a refill.  Of course, the next question that always seems to go unnoticed is from the creator of all we see and feel as a needy tenant.  That position of feeling too timid is when our faith becomes threatened.

There will always be a moment when our sight becomes blurred and the owner of the vessel appears to have left the premises.  While our empty heart keeps looking for our dependency on the creator to notice our plight, we will sense a tugging at our heart that assures us he never left our side.  That is the Holy Spirit that is always within us and he never will leave our drooping heart that seems to be alone.  

Even when Jesus was hanging on the Cross and called out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”  (Mk 15: 34).  Complete the very Psalm from which this cry appears;  A prayer of an innocent man!  “All who seek me mock me; they curl their lips and jeer; they shake their heads at me; You relied on the Lord-let him deliver you; if he loves you, let him rescue you."  (Ps 22: 8 - 9).  

“Then I will proclaim your name to the assembly; in the community I will praise you; You who fear the Lord, give praise!  All descendants of Jacob, give honor; show reverence, all descendants of Israel!  For God has not spurned or disdained the misery of this poor wretch, did not turn away from me, but heard me when I cried out.  I will offer praise in the great assembly; my vows I will fulfill before those who fear him.  The poor will eat their fill; those who seek the Lord will offer praise.  May your hearts enjoy life forever.”  (Ps 22: 23 - 27).

A cry of loneliness or fear of what is to come to his body as Jesus hangs dying?  No, since he is giving himself for our freedom and this psalm touches the hearts of all who were there at Calvary and the rest of us now 2,000 years later still in wonderment of these words. 

To whom will we call as our own hearts cry out;  not from loneliness but with praise for our release from eternal death.  

Psalm 22 stands as the most prolific words that Jesus cried out as he was proclaiming the passage of hope for all who believed in him then as now.

Ralph B. Hathaway