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We are continuing our series of reflections on the Psalms. Each day we will upload a new reflection to the website. We hope and pray that you will find them helpful and that they bring hope during this season. Click on these buttons to read the text of the psalm or listen to a recording of it. You can also listen to the reflection using the audio player below. Read Psalm 22:19-31  Listen to Psalm 22:19-31 This is the second part of the reflection on Psalm 22. It starts with the phrase, "But you, Lord..." The desperation we saw yesterday pushes the psalmist to pray to God for deliverance (verses 19-21). This becomes thanksgiving in anticipation of what the Lord will do for the psalmist (verses 22-26) and finally thanksgiving on behalf of the whole community - the "families of nations" (verses 27-31). Rather than feeling forgotten by God, there's a complete reversal. The psalmist no longer feels desolation, but instead ends by calling on others to worship God. It has been said that "crisis does not build character, it reveals it." The psalmist suffers isolation and faces death. His response is to turn to God in prayer. In Jesus, God identifies with all who suffer or face death in this way. Jesus responded with compassion - for the crowd, for the thief and for his mother. There is also a notable difference to the psalmist. The psalmist escaped death, but Jesus died. This is not a deliverance from death but Jesus's deliverance was through death achieved in the resurrection. That deliverance is worthy of praise, both for the individual suffering and for the whole families of nations. The psalm ends with a great cry of victory: "He has done it!" Lord, thank you that you know the suffering that we face. Thank you that through your death and resurrection you have delivered us and we can declare: "He has done it!"