In The Word
Read: Psalm 79, 80
79 God, the nations have invaded Your inheritance;
They have defiled Your holy temple;
They have laid Jerusalem in ruins.
2 They have given the dead bodies of Your servants to the birds of the sky as food,
The flesh of Your godly ones to the animals of the earth.
3 They have poured out their blood like water all around Jerusalem;
And there was no one to bury them.
4 We have become a disgrace before our neighbors,
An object of derision and ridicule to those around us.
5 How long, Lord? Will You be angry forever?
Will Your jealousy burn like fire?
6 Pour out Your wrath upon the nations which do not know You,
And upon the kingdoms which do not call upon Your name.
7 For they have devoured Jacob
And laid waste his settlement.
8 Do not hold us responsible for the guilty deeds of our forefathers;
Let Your compassion come quickly to meet us,
For we have become very low.
9 Help us, God of our salvation, for the glory of Your name;
And save us and forgive our sins for the sake of Your name.
10 Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?”
Let vengeance for the blood of Your servants which has been shed
Be known among the nations in our sight.
11 Let the groaning of the prisoner come before You;
According to the greatness of Your power, let those who are doomed to die remain.
12 And return to our neighbors seven times as muchinto their lap
Their taunts with which they have taunted You, Lord.
13 So we Your people and the sheep of Your pasture
Will give thanks to You forever;
To all generations we will tell of Your praise.
80 Listen, Shepherd of Israel,
Who leads Joseph like a flock;
You who are enthroned above the cherubim, shine forth!
2 Before Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh, awaken Your power,
And come to save us!
3 God, restore us
And make Your face shine upon us, and we will be saved.
4 Lord God of armies,
How long will You be angry with the prayer of Your people?
5 You have fed them with the bread of tears,
And You have made them drink tears in large measure.
6 You make us an object of contention to our neighbors,
And our enemies laugh among themselves.
7 God of armies, restore us
And make Your face shine upon us, and we will be saved.
8 You removed a vine from Egypt;
You drove out the nations and planted it.
9 You cleared the ground before it,
And it took deep root and filled the land.
10 The mountains were covered with its shadow,
And the cedars of God with its branches.
11 It was sending out its branches to the sea
And its shoots to the Euphrates River.
12 Why have You broken down its hedges,
So that all who pass that way pick its fruit?
13 A boar from the forest eats it away,
And whatever moves in the field feeds on it.
14 God of armies, do turn back;
Look down from heaven and see, and take care of this vine,
15 The shoot which Your right hand has planted,
And of the son whom You have strengthened for Yourself.
16 It is burned with fire, it is cut down;
They perish from the rebuke of Your face.
17 Let Your hand be upon the man of Your right hand,
Upon the son of man whom You made strong for Yourself.
18 Then we will not turn back from You;
Revive us, and we will call upon Your name.
19 Lord God of armies, restore us;
Make Your face shine upon us, and we will be saved.
New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Walking In The Word
The psalmist mourned that Jerusalem had been devastated and that dead bodies were lying in the open as food for scavengers. The Israelites recognized that their infidelity had invited the jealousy of God. They underwent the fierce fire of His discipline. The tragedy led Israel to be the laughingstock of neighboring nations. So the psalmist asked that God’s wrath be turned against the nations that had ravaged and mocked Israel. He pleaded to God for help, “For the glory of Your name; And deliver us and forgive our sins for Your name’s sake.” The psalmist promised that after the Lord delivered His people from bondage, they would praise Him and be forever grateful.
Have you found yourself in a difficult situation caused by your own sinful choices? If so, run to God and cry out for His mercy to save you. Even though God allowed the painful consequences as a form of discipline, He is the right one to save you. He loves you and wants to see you restored. It is not within your power to rescue yourself. Rather, it is God’s power and wisdom that will deliver you. While there will be some actions that you will need to take, let it be God that directs your steps. Your “wisdom” to try and solve the problem could actually make the situation worse.
Once you have been restored, praise God for His mercy and forgiveness. Then make a commitment to stay on the Ancient Path with God’s guidance.