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The Worm
“But I am
a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of
the people” (Psalm 22:6)
Do you want a friend? It’s pretty
clear that, at some point, EVERYBODY wants one. Even
the “loner,” down deep inside would like a friend,
though likely on strict terms and conditions of their
own choosing. A “loner” is often just a person who has
been hurt and is afraid to try anymore – they might be
hurt again!
People want their friends to
listen, to accept them no matter what is revealed, and
to understand completely. If you have suffered, there
is a deep need to share that suffering with someone who
knows exactly what you’ve been going through.
The problem is that other people
usually DON’T understand, and the person who needs to
share becomes angry, withdrawing from others even when
the need is there.
Someone sent us a short article
called “The Little Earthworm.”
I don’t know who wrote it and don’t recall who sent it.
If you want credit for it, we’ll give recognition to the
first ten people who make such a claim. Here’s “The
Little Earthworm” –
“One of
the most harmless, gentle little creatures that you can
think about is the earthworm. It has no teeth, no bones
and no hard body parts. It has no arms or legs and
cannot slap or kick. It cannot bite, sting or scratch or
put out poison or a bad odor. It does not carry disease
germs. The tiniest baby could hold one in his hand
without harm. This little creature never fights even
when others try to kill it. It may be chopped in two,
but it does not scream or make the least fuss. The
earthworm can leave its snipped-off tail and quietly
begin to grow another one. The earthworm eats nothing or
uses nothing that another creature would like to have.
It does nothing that another animal or plant does not
like to have done. It kills no plant or animal to take
care of its own needs, but it is very useful to man and
also to animals and plants.” The writer
continued, “This is a simple,
wonderful picture of the character of Christ.”
Our Lord is gentle, not unlike that earthworm.
The Gospel accounts of our Lord
Jesus Christ give us His actual words so clearly that
it’s like hearing them directly from His lips. We even
have some of the words He uttered while on the cross
dying for our sins. A lot of people don’t realize that
sections of the OLD Testament also contain His words,
written hundreds of years before He was on earth. Many
know from the New Testament that while He was on the
cross He gasped in the Aramaic language, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” which translates into English this way:
“My God, My God, why have You
forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46).
David, the shepherd boy, warrior,
king, poet and song writer, was God’s man who wrote the
prophetic Psalm 22, just as the Holy Spirit encouraged
him to do. The Psalm begins with, “My
God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Psalm
22:1), and then it continues with the actual FEELINGS of
Jesus, an x-ray of the THOUGHTS He would feel while on
the cross. Included is today’s look at this incredible
thought: “But I am a worm, and
no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people”
(Psalm 22:6). He felt like a worm.
Have you ever felt so embarrassed,
so ruined, that you felt like a worm? Have you felt
rejected by others to the point where you were a
laughingstock? Have you ever been hated by the very
people you love? Jesus felt those things and more. His
thoughts while He was on the cross, included: “All
those who see Me laugh Me to scorn” (Psalm 22:7).
Have you been threatened by a
bully, whether in a schoolroom or in a corporate
boardroom? Jesus knew that feeling, and felt this way
about it: “Many bulls have
surrounded Me; strong bulls of Bashan have encircled Me”
(Psalm 22:12). He was surrounded by vicious enemies who
were harming Him terribly, and there was no one to
help. His human body was being publicly ruined by those
who reviled Him.
He understands your pain from
personal experience. He knows what it means to be
misunderstood and embarrassed by those who hate you; by
those who should love you. He has known helplessness,
anxiety and depression first hand. He knows what it
feels like to call out to God and apparently receive no
answer: “They (His
enemies) shoot out the lip
(they sneered at Him), they
shake the head (mocking Him),
saying, ‘He trusted in the
Lord, let Him rescue Him; let Him deliver Him, since He
delights in Him” (Psalm 22:7-8).
They even took away His clothing
and played a child’s game to see who would “win” what
little He had: “They divide My
garments among them and for My clothing they cast lots”
(Psalm 22:18). And yet, as Jesus cried out in His
heart, the Father HEARD Him, and knew His suffering: “For
He (the Father) has not
despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted;
nor has He hidden His face from Him; but when He cried
to Him, He heard” (Psalm 22:24). God the Father
HEARS your cry. He KNOWS you are troubled by the
suffering of this world. He knows how it feels when
your child is crying in the night.
The Lord became like a “worm”
in the sight of mankind, so that all might KNOW “What
a Friend we have in Jesus.” He became LOWLY, so
that when you cry out to Him, you can be certain that
God not only hears, but He also UNDERSTANDS your need.
Jesus said many things to His
disciples, and through them He spoke to us; but much of
what He said has not been understood. At one point He
urged, “Come unto Me, all you
who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am GENTLE
and LOWLY IN HEART, and you will find REST for your
souls” (Matthew 11:28-29). HE is the gentle
Friend who hears and understands.
God LIKES you. He actually LOVES
you. Oh, you may do and think things that are a
problem. God IS concerned about it and will heal the
destructive thoughts within - He LOVES you at the core
of your being. The Son of God became a “worm”
for us, so that you and I might become sons of God. He
created you for a good purpose and when His intention is
realized in your life, you will LIKE what you have
become.
Lord Jesus, thank You for being my
Friend, for listening when I pray. I TRUST that when an
answer is delayed, there’s a good reason. I love You.
In Jesus Name. Amen.
Ron Beckham, Pastor
Friday Study Ministries
www.FridayStudy.org
www.FirstChurchontheNet.org
E-mail:
Ron@FridayStudy.org
Tel:
(562) 688-5559
PO Box 92131
Long Beach, CA 90809-2131
"While
we were yet sinners, Christ died for us"
(Romans
5:8)
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