Test Time

The Professor and His Son

“My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?”

Charles Spurgeon says of this text, "If all the trials which come from heaven, all the temptations which ascend from hell, and all the crosses which arise from earth, could be mixed and pressed together, they would not make a trial so terrible as that which is contained in this verse. It is the most bitter of all afflictions to be led to fear that there is no help for us in God. And yet remember our most blessed Saviour had to endure this in the deepest degree."

What is one to do during those times, which St John of the Cross calls, The Dark Night of the Soul?” Are we to doubt our Lord’s promise, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” Most certainly not!  A father who is his son’s English professor may leave him during test time, not being able to help him, but by no means has he deserted him. At Calvary, Jesus was taking His finals before graduation. It  was something He had to do on His own; no one could do it for Him; not even His loving Father.

Not only does our main text speak prophetically of our Lord, but was also true of David historically. Most certainly, not to the same extent and depth, nevertheless in a lesser form. David tells us he felt like a fatally wounded animal, all alone, roaring in the black of night. To me, this is the ultimate Christ-like experience, when, as in the Old Testament, one can testify to the fact that the darkness could be felt (Ex.10:21). As the song says, “THEN CAME THE MORNING!”