Reflections
Psalm 80: 2-3, 15-16, 18-19 (Read)
“Give us new life, and we will call upon your name.”
The Psalm is a prayer to restore Israel,
at a time when the chosen people were
scattered and had withdrawn from God.
The Psalm is well adapted to our prayers during Advent. We are a people scattered and separated from God, and we await His coming. Our psalmist makes a direct appeal to God to shepherd us,
“Shepherd of Israel listen; come to save us.”
“Turn again Lord, attend to this vine.” The Lord
tends to His vineyard. He protects a shoot planted
by His right hand, the son of man whom God
himself made strong. The coming of Christ is
intended to revive us, restore our strength. As the
Psalm says, “Give us new life, and we will call
upon your name.”
We all need to be renewed from time to time when
our faith grows lukewarm, when our hearts harden
due to the sins that separate us from God.
We, like the Israelites, need to beg for God’s mercy,
to petition the Lord and seek his peace, the peace
that will guard our hearts and minds, and restore us
as His people. We are after all, the work of His
hands. (Isaiah 64:7)
Where does our hope for revival come from?
It comes from our Savior, sent by the Lord, our
cornerstone. In Him we are restored. “Lord of
hosts restore us; let your face shine upon us,
that we may be saved.”
Amen
Discussion Questions for Reflection
1. The Psalm says, 'Lord, make us turn to you.'
Have you noticed at times when we stray off His path
how the Lord tugs at each of us so that we return to His ways.
Give an example from your own experience.
2. Our psalmist is writing about the scattered people of Israel,
but his words may apply to each of us in our separation from God.
In what way do the Psalm's verses encourage you as we begin
the season of Advent?
Happy Thanksgiving to all of you……living in this country, we have much to be thankful for. And, I too, believe that faith by itself, if not accompanied by action, is dead. Last night, at the Escondido Highlands Board Meeting, I requested Board support for the twice a year food drives for Interfaith Community Services for 2015 and 2016, and was given enthusiastic support. Our request had attached to it, the supporting signatures of 24 homeowners/residents in our Community. In the 5 years we have been collecting, we have collected over 10,609 food and personal hygiene items. Praise the Lord.
ReplyDeleteThe Almighty God of all the hosts of heaven and earth is our Shepherd. God cares for us even when we feel that He doesn’t even hear our prayers any more. He can and will restore us to the fellowship we once enjoyed.
ReplyDeleteGod is always ready to “return” to his people (us), but His people (we) must also “return” to Him in fidelity. If we turn away from sin, the Lord will be “converted” from his intention to punish: this is the conviction that finds an echo in our hearts and opens them to hope.
The Psalm's verses help us to see if we are straying off His path. We, like the Israelites, will be scattered and separated from God. This separation will always bring destruction in our lives.
ReplyDeleteGod is our only hope for our Salvation. As I await His coming, the coming of Christ will revive us and give us new life if we repent of our sins and call upon His name for His mercy. As we enter the season of Advent, we examine our heart again and again to order to be right with Him.
I want to share my experience about how I was restored. His Mercy is forever. When I closed my eyes in front of the Tabernacle, I prayed David's prayer Psalm 51, "Create in me a pure heart." All of a sudden I felt His presence within me. He was sweet like a perfume. I stayed in His presence for a while. I know my spirit is renewed and His face shines upon me. I know in Him I am restored.