He did not hide his face from me (Psalm 22:24)
As a little child, if I had done something I should not have (i.e. taken a cookie or messed up a room, etc), I would hide my face from my parents after being caught. As I grew up, and would mess up in some other way, it would be my parents who would turn their face away in disgust of my behavior or actions. That was more difficult to take.
Psalm 22 begins as lament, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" However, by the end, the psalmist is giving thanks for God's fidelity. Whereas the psalmist felt abandoned, he comes to trust that in reality he is not.
Even when my parents turned away in disgust and frustration, they would always turn back. I know that I do the same thing with my children now. I always turn back too.
Psalm 22 shares a similar image I believe. The God who may turn his face away but will never hide his face! That is a hopeful image for us in living our lives. We may feel abandoned at times, but the promise of our faith is that we are never left alone. Thanks be to God!
God who always turns back, help us to live such lives that we turn back toward others needs as you have done for us! Amen.
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