Psalm 80
Sunday, 21 April 2024
“Restore us, LORD God Almighty;
make your face shine on us,
that we may be saved.” -Psalm 80:19
The Psalmist here pleads to the Lord Almighty for His restoration on the nation. The people of God had strayed away from God and were suffering the consequences of their sin. In the time of distress, they cry out to the Lord God Almighty for restoration and revival. The refrain in the key verse repeated three times in the Psalm points to the theme of the Psalm.
The background of the Psalm is likely to be a time in the history of Israel when the nation was devastated by enemy attacks. God seems to have turned away from their cries and they had become the object of scorn from the enemy (Vs.4-6). As the Psalmist reflects on the distress the nation was in, he recalls how the Lord like a gardener had planted Israel in the land and it prospered; but now the walls were breached and they were ravaged by the enemy (Vs.8-13). The pleading by the Psalmist can be seen under these headings:
· Return to us, God Almighty! (V.14)
This is a persuasive heart cry for the Lord to look back on them as they had felt forsaken by Him in the time of their distress.
· Revive us and we will call on your name (V.18)
The wayward nation was reeling under the devastation brought by the enemy, such that without God reviving them, there was no hope.
· Restore us, LORD God Almighty (V.19)
This repeated chorus in the Psalm shows a desperate plea to restore the nation once more. They realized they had done wrong and the Psalmist makes a pledge that they would not turn away from God.
What does the Psalm speak to us today? If you are someone who has never received God’s Salvation but realize the wreck or mess your life is in, it’s time to plead to the Lord to show His mercy that you may be saved. God is good and kind, but He hates sin. In His goodness and mercy, He makes it possible for a sinner to repent. If we turn from our rebellious ways and seek Him, He will forgive us and give us a new lease of life. Jesus assures us, “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10). Christ Jesus who knew no sin became sin for you and me and took its just punishment, so that we might be put right with God (cf. 2Cor.5:21). Today, receive your salvation through Christ Jesus that your life will find meaning and restoration.
To those who have backslidden and you are affected by the consequences of sin, it’s time to repent and turn to God, asking Him to revive you again. For the restoration of a sinner, God first deals with the sins of the sinner. The realization of one’s wrongdoing is to be sincerely confessed to the Lord who is able to forgive and cleanse us. 1 John 1:9 tells us, if we truly confess, the Lord will forgive and cleanse us from all sin. When we repent thus, the Lord promises, “I have blotted out, like a thick cloud, your transgressions, And like a cloud, your sins. Return to Me, for I have redeemed you.” (Isaiah 44:22)
When you seek the Lord, if your cry is from the heart, the light of Jesus will shine upon you, because Jesus is the true light that gives light and life to everyone: In Him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind (John 1:4). Today, if you allow this light to shine upon you through Jesus Christ, you can receive eternal restoration from GOD.
To pray: LORD Jesus, “Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.” (based on Psalm 51:12)