04/22/2026
In today's overhead devotion Chaplain Austyn Dentry reminds us through the example of two Psalms that as we go through life we will both cry out to God in desperation and will feel confidence that He is with us in every situation in our life. Thanks, Austyn, for reminding us that God never forsakes us!
Psalm 22 begins with a cry many of us have felt but may be afraid to say out loud: ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’ It is raw. It is honest. It is the sound of someone who feels abandoned, surrounded, and overwhelmed.
And yet, that same voice, just one Psalm later in one many have memorized, declares with quiet confidence: ‘The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.’ What happened between Psalm 22 and Psalm 23? It is not that circumstances magically changed.
Psalm 22 reminds us that we are allowed to bring our full pain, confusion, and even our sense of distance to God. Faith isn’t pretending everything is okay – it is crying out when it's not.
Psalm 23 reminds us that even when God feels far, He is still near. He is guiding, providing, and restoring. ‘Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.’ Sometimes we go through the valley – but we are never alone.
So today, wherever you find yourself – whether you heart echoes Psalm 22 or rest in Psalm 23 know this: both belong in the life of faith. The cry and the confidence. The valley and the shepherd.
Let us pray:
Lord, Meet us in our honest cries and in our quiet trust. When we feel alone, remind us You are near. Lead us through every valley and restore our souls again. Amen.
