Restore Us, O Lord
The psalmist, Asaph, lamented when he saw how the glory of Jerusalem had been taken away by the attacks of their enemies. God was punishing their sins by allowing the city to be destroyed. That is why he and others cried out to God for Him to restore them and to save them. They longed to see the face of God shine on them once more. (Psalm 80:19) I think the same thing could be said about many Christians and many churches today. We need to see God restore us. We need His face to shine on us.
Can you remember a time in your life when God was blessing you, and it seemed that His presence was much stronger in your life? The Lord never intended for us, as believers, to drift away from Him. He hates to have to punish His children, but He is a loving Father, so He will do what is necessary to correct us. Sometimes that process is very painful, until we will cry out to Him for restoration. He is waiting to hear our pleas for His face to shine upon us again. However, first He must see our repentance, our returning to Him and His ways. There is no restoration without repentance. However, once we return to Him, He does shine on us and restore us. In fact, we can be even more blessed than before, and that can last, if we will just decide to stay close to Him on a daily basis, growing in Christ, instead of drifting away.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Psalms 81-83.
Can you remember a time in your life when God was blessing you, and it seemed that His presence was much stronger in your life? The Lord never intended for us, as believers, to drift away from Him. He hates to have to punish His children, but He is a loving Father, so He will do what is necessary to correct us. Sometimes that process is very painful, until we will cry out to Him for restoration. He is waiting to hear our pleas for His face to shine upon us again. However, first He must see our repentance, our returning to Him and His ways. There is no restoration without repentance. However, once we return to Him, He does shine on us and restore us. In fact, we can be even more blessed than before, and that can last, if we will just decide to stay close to Him on a daily basis, growing in Christ, instead of drifting away.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Psalms 81-83.