Psalm 22 and 23

The other day I talked with a local retired pastor over lunch about my burnout. He understood. He's was once there too.

He said, "Have you ever noticed that Psalm 22 and 23 are right next to each other?"

Psalm 22 speaks of despair. Jesus cited its opening words on the cross, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" On the other hand, Psalm 23 is one of the most famous passages in Scripture, for it assures the believer of God's personal presence and love.

The retired pastor continued, "I believe you can't fully appreciate Psalm 23 until you've lived Psalm 22. And if you've never lived Psalm 22, you're experience of Psalm 23 is superficial."

Having lived more recently on the Psalm 22 side, I'm appreciating all the more Psalm 23.