Psalm 22
(by David)
Suffering and Praise

My God, my God, why have you deserted me? Why are you so far away? Won't you listen to my groans and come to my rescue? I cry out day and night, but you don't answer, and I can never rest.

Yet you are the holy God, ruling from your throne and praised by Israel. Our ancestors trusted you, and you rescued them. When they cried out for help, you saved them, and you did not let them down when they depended on you.

But I am merely a worm, far less than human, and I am hated and rejected by people everywhere. Everyone who sees me makes fun and sneers. They shake their heads, 8and say, "Trust the LORD! If you are his favorite, let him protect you and keep you safe."

You, LORD, brought me safely through birth, and you protected me when I was a baby at my mother's breast. From the day I was born, I have been in your care, and from the time of my birth, you have been my God.

Don't stay far off when I am in trouble with no one to help me. Enemies are all around like a herd of wild bulls. Powerful bulls from Bashan are everywhere. My enemies are like lions roaring and attacking with jaws open wide.

I have no more strength than a few drops of water. All my bones are out of joint; my heart is like melted wax. My strength has dried up like a broken clay pot, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. You, God, have left me to die in the dirt.

Brutal enemies attack me like a pack of dogs, tearing at my hands and my feet. I can count all my bones, and my enemies just stare and sneer at me. They took my clothes and gambled for them.

Don't stay far away, LORD! My strength comes from you, so hurry and help. Rescue me from enemy swords and save me from those dogs. Don't let lions eat me.

You rescued me from the horns of wild bulls, and when your people meet, I will praise you, LORD.

All who worship the LORD, now praise him! You belong to Jacob's family and to the people of Israel, so fear and honor the LORD! The LORD doesn't hate or despise the helpless in all of their troubles. When I cried out, he listened and did not turn away.

When your people meet, you will fill my heart with your praises, LORD, and everyone will see me keep my promises to you. The poor will eat and be full, and all who worship you will be thankful and live in hope.

Everyone on this earth will remember you, LORD. People all over the world will turn and worship you, because you are in control, the ruler of all nations.

All who are rich and have more than enough will bow down to you, Lord. Even those who are dying and almost in the grave will come and bow down. In the future, everyone will worship and learn about you, our Lord. People not yet born will be told, "The Lord has saved us!"

Psalm 42
BOOK II
(A special psalm for the people of Korah)
Longing for God

As a deer gets thirsty for streams of water, I truly am thirsty for you, my God. In my heart, I am thirsty for you, the living God. When will I see your face? Day and night my tears are my only food, as everyone keeps asking, "Where is your God?"

Sorrow floods my heart, when I remember leading the worshipers to your house. I can still hear them shout their joyful praises. Why am I discouraged? Why am I restless? I trust you! And I will praise you again because you help me, and you are my God.

I am deeply discouraged as I think about you from where the Jordan begins at Mount Hermon and from Mount Mizar. Your vicious waves have swept over me like an angry ocean or a roaring waterfall. Every day, you are kind, and at night you give me a song as my prayer to you, the living LORD God.

You are my mighty rock. Why have you forgotten me? Why must enemies mistreat me and make me sad? Even my bones are in pain, while all day long my enemies sneer and ask, "Where is your God?"

Why am I discouraged? Why am I restless? I trust you! And I will praise you again because you help me, and you are my God.

John 14:15-31
The Holy Spirit Is Promised

Jesus said to his disciples:
If you love me, you will do as I command. Then I will ask the Father to send you the Holy Spirit who will help you and always be with you. The Spirit will show you what is true. The people of this world cannot accept the Spirit, because they don't see or know him. But you know the Spirit, who is with you and will keep on living in you. I won't leave you like orphans. I will come back to you. In a little while the people of this world won't be able to see me, but you will see me. And because I live, you will live. Then you will know that I am one with the Father. You will know that you are one with me, and I am one with you. If you love me, you will do what I have said, and my Father will love you. I will also love you and show you what I am like.

The other Judas, not Judas Iscariot, then spoke up and asked, "Lord, what do you mean by saying that you will show us what you are like, but you will not show the people of this world?"
Jesus replied:
If anyone loves me, they will obey me. Then my Father will love them, and we will come to them and live in them. But anyone who doesn't love me, won't obey me. What they have heard me say doesn't really come from me, but from the Father who sent me.

I have told you these things while I am still with you. But the Holy Spirit will come and help you, because the Father will send the Spirit to take my place. The Spirit will teach you everything and will remind you of what I said while I was with you. I give you peace, the kind of peace that only I can give. It isn't like the peace that this world can give. So don't be worried or afraid.

You have already heard me say that I am going and that I will also come back to you. If you really love me, you should be glad that I am going back to the Father, because he is greater than I am.

I am telling you this before I leave, so that when it does happen, you will have faith in me. I cannot speak with you much longer, because the ruler of this world is coming. But he has no power over me. I obey my Father, so that everyone in the world might know that I love him.

It is time for us to go now.