Begging God to Come Back

 Most of the time we, as adults, don't feel the need to beg for something that we really want. That is what children and young people do when they are desperate to have something, and their parents or friends won't give it to them. However, there are some things that we should be willing to beg for. We should be willing to let God and others know just what is very important to us. This is the opposite of being apathetic and lukewarm, which God hates.

The psalmist was expressing the desperate situation of God's people. They had wandered from God and rebelled against Him, so that He had withdrawn from them. He did not leave them completely, but He withdrew His presence and His blessings for a while. (Psalm 80:14) "Come back, we beg You, O God of Heaven's Armies. Look down from heaven and see our plight. Take care of this grapevine." I am not sure where you are in your life right now, but if you are not experiencing the presence and blessings of God, this is a great verse for you.

We must not let ourselves be influenced by the culture around us so that we drift from God and accept the practices of this world. If we do, we will end up having idols, instead of worshiping God alone. We will end up trying to meet our needs on our own, and that never works. Also, when God sees that we have turned our hearts away from Him, He might decide to let us go away from Him to learn our lesson. If we are saved, He never leaves us or forsakes us, but He does punish us for our own good.

It is at these times that we feel lost and abandoned, even though it was our own doing. When we sense that lack of God's presence, we need to beg God to come back. Perhaps, we even need to get down on our knees as we beg Him to look down from heaven and see our plight. We need to admit that "this grapevine" is not doing well, and we need some tender loving care. We need to confess our apathy and our sins, so that we renew our close relationship with God. Then, God will hear and return to work out everything we have messed up, as we listen to Him and obey.

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Tomorrow, I intend to read Psalms 81-83.