Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel,
you who lead Joseph like a flock.
You who are enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth.
Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh,
stir up your might
and come to save us!
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 an object of contention for our neighbors,
and our enemies laugh among themselves.
Restore us, O God of hosts;
let your face shine, that we may be saved!
Psalm 80:1–7
This Psalm reminds us of our human condition: We need a God who is Almighty and Powerful to save us. We have no other hope. We yearn for restoration. We desire escape from the suffering of life. And as much as we may want to improve things and escape the hold of sin, our efforts are futile. These are difficult truths to live with.
The passage’s refrain repeatedly calls on God to save us. It’s never too soon to utter these words again. As you go about your day, repeatedly re-center your mind, heart, and soul on the refrain. To know God’s face, and to truly behold His Holy Light shining on us — this is what we know we need.
Lord — we wait for You. Your Light is a beautiful gift. Allow the darkness of December to represent for us the need in our life for You. Help us to make room for You in our hearts. Come and fill us with Your presence in new ways, as we witness heaven and earth singing Your praise.
Dr. David Keep is an assistant professor of music at Hope College.
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.