Psalm 80
Lamentation (community) / God and the Nations (Asaph)
Restore Me
3 O God, restore us,
And cause Your face to shine upon us, and we will be saved.
7 O God of hosts, restore us,
And cause Your face to shine upon us, and we will be saved.
19 O Lord God of hosts, restore us,
Cause Your face to shine upon us, and we will be saved.
· If we fall into any decay of nature or of grace, God alone can recover and deliver us.
· “As the apostasy of God’s people from God is the fountain of all their calamity; so their repentance and returning unto God is the first step unto their relief from procured misery of captivity, or any other calamity.” (Dickson)
· Delay is not denial. God’s time and way of answering our prayers are the best. Let us trust him. Let us not misinterpret him. This would give the adversary the very advantage he seeks.
· Yet if our prayers are not answered, we ought to inquire the cause, and be concerned, till we have a token for good. Prayer is but a means to the divine blessing. Great and long-continued trials call for deep heart-searchings, as well as for earnest appeal to God.
· “The tears of repentance are very rare, and soon dried up, but the tears of sorrow for affliction easily flow.” It is well when worldly grief is followed by godly sorrow.
· Seldom if ever do troubles come alone. Where there has been much sinning we may expect much suffering. If Israel apostatizes from God, and practices ingratitude, idolatry, pride, unbelief, covetousness, that people may expect evil in many a form.
· It is impossible for us to be too careful to avoid backsliding. It is the bane of piety, the misery of Christians. If we are kept from declension, it must be by the power of God through Jesus Christ. Let us by solemn covenant engagements, by prayer, by ceaseless vigilance, by self-exhortation guard against so great a sin and misery as will overtake us if we go back from God.