REVIVE US
In times of trouble, if we remain in the True Vine, we can be restored and blessed by God.
7/16/20263 min read
RESTORE US, O GOD
Psalm 80:1-19
1 Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel,
You who lead Joseph like a flock;
You who dwell between the cherubim, shine forth!
2 Before Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh,
Stir up Your strength,
And come and save us! 3 Restore us, O God;
Cause Your face to shine,
And we shall be saved!...
14 Return, we beseech You, O God of hosts;
Look down from heaven and see,
And visit this vine…
18 Then we will not turn back from You;
Revive us, and we will call upon Your name…
The psalmist Asaph is pleading to God to restore His chosen people to a place of favor and blessings. In Numbers 6:22-27, God spoke to Moses and instructed him to tell Aaron to pray over the Children of Israel, invoking the blessings of God:
22 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 23 “Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, ‘This is the way you shall bless the children of Israel. Say to them:
24 “The Lord bless you and keep you;
25 The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
26 The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.” ’
27 “So they shall put My name on the children of Israel, and I will bless them.”
There are times when the enemy comes to interrupt our peace, comfort, safety, or joy. We may feel like we have so much to deal with; we don’t have the strength to do it all. In these times, it is important to remain in the True Vine. In John 15:1-5, Jesus said, “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
When the enemy attacks us, we need to speak the Word of God over ourselves. Isaiah 59:19 says, “So shall they fear the name of the Lord from the west, and His glory from the rising of the sun; When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him”. Psalm 20:5 says, “We will rejoice in your salvation, and in the name of our God we will set up our banners! May the Lord fulfill all your petitions”. Isaiah 11:10 says, “And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse, Who shall stand as a banner to the people; For the Gentiles shall seek Him, And His resting place shall be glorious.”
So, let us declare the Lord is our banner. Life and all that we need, including victory over the enemy, is in the hands of our Shepherd. Psalm 20:6 tells us this: “Now I know that the Lord saves His anointed; He will answer him from His holy heaven With the saving strength of His right hand”. Psalm 138:7 declares “Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch out Your hand Against the wrath of my enemies, And Your right hand will save me”.
May the Spirit of the Living God revive us in our troubles, keep us strong and faithful, and may we continue to abide in Him, Amen!