“Lord, you were favorable to your land;
you restored the fortunes of Jacob.
You forgave the iniquity of your people;
you pardoned all their sin. Selah
You withdrew all your wrath;
you turned from your hot anger.
Restore us again, O God of our salvation,
and put away your indignation toward us.
Will you be angry with us forever?
Will you prolong your anger to all generations?
Will you not revive us again,
so that your people may rejoice in you?
Show us your steadfast love, O Lord,
and grant us your salvation.
Let me hear what God the Lord will speak,
for he will speak peace to his people,
to his faithful, to those who turn to him in their hearts.
Surely his salvation is at hand for those who fear him,
that his glory may dwell in our land.
Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet;
righteousness and peace will kiss each other.
Faithfulness will spring up from the ground,
and righteousness will look down from the sky.
The Lord will give what is good,
and our land will yield its increase.
Righteousness will go before him,
and will make a path for his steps.” Psalm 85

Continually Restored

By Ginny Smith

God created mankind and had a covenant with his chosen people. He cared for them, restored them and forgave them. But there was a pattern of his people returning to him and, as the psalmist says, always asking God to “restore us again” and “revive us again.”  It seems that all they felt was his displeasure and anger. They realized they weren’t living up to his expectations. They fell short.

We fall short.

What our amazing God does when he sends Jesus, Emmanuel, to earth to live among us, is His ultimate act of restoration and revival.

God in all his righteousness and goodness reaches down from heaven and kisses the earth with the gift of his son. He provides access to Himself so we can be continually restored. He allows His “glory” to live in our land. He shows us that His “peace” can live in our hearts. He provides a living example of how to get along in this world He created.

Not only do we have written and oral expectations on how to live, we have a personal gift, a guide who now lives within us.

“The LORD will indeed give what is good.”

Our prayer O Lord is to recognize this wonderful gift you have given us. We are so amazed at your desire to be with us and to help us in all ways. Help us unwrap the present of your son and get to know him during this season of advent.

Through him we pray,

Amen