Advent
November 26, 2014

Scripture Reading: Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19

Restore us, O God;
   let your face shine, that we may be saved. 

O Lord God of hosts,
   how long will you be angry with your people’s prayers?
You have fed them with the bread of tears,
   and given them tears to drink in full measure.
You make us the scorn of our neighbors;
   our enemies laugh among themselves.

 Restore us, O God of hosts;
   let your face shine, that we may be saved. — Psalm 80:1-7

Our Psalm today indicates that the people of God have reached the point of recognizing their transgressions and realize they are in need of a Savior. Recognition and confession of a problem is step one in any recovery program, but saying it and internalizing it may be two different things.  Old habits are really hard to break. We know what we need to do but knowing and doing are two entirely different things.

The saddest thing is that we may wallow in our own castigation, we may be shamed by the reaction of others to our lives, but we don’t take the one step that is necessary to initiate the help that has been there all along. We do not turn around. When we sense that God has turned God’s back on us, the truth is most likely the other way around. We have turned our back to God. To be restored we must turn back to God.

God can and will cleanse us of whatever it is that is keeping us from being the person God created us to be. The closer we get to being that person the closer we will get to being whole.

Prayer: Create in me a clean heart, O God,
                   and put a new and right spirit within me.
             Do not cast me away from your presence,
                   and do not take your holy spirit from me.
            Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
                  and sustain in me a willing spirit. (Psalm 51:10-12). Amen.