Restoration

UV 1346/10,000 Restoration

Turn us again, O God of hosts, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.

Psalm 80 v 7

This uni-verse is repeated thrice in this one Psalm. It is a prayer to restore our spirit, our minds and our bodies. We are renewing our minds and our energy with the Word of God. We need to beseech the Lord to cause His face to shine on us so that we are saved. His face shining on us implies that we need to pray that we find favour in His eyes, that His grace be upon our entire being. His face shining on us implies that He is pleased with our faith which is the root of our relationship with Him as well as the results we produce which is the fruit of our relationship with Him. When Moses went to speak with the Lord face to face, his face shone with the glory of God. When we pray for His face to shine on us we are praying that the glory of God be seen on our own faces. He will restore to us the joy of salvation, the satisfaction of victory, the pleasure of living in union with God.

It is a prayer for restoration and renewal. We are acknowledging herein that we depend on His grace to sustain us here and now and for the salvation of our souls and eternal life. In this prayer, God is addressed as El Shaddai, the Almighty, the Lord and commander of the hosts or army of heaven. When the face of God shines on us, our lives will be blessed in a variety of ways. It is an acknowledgement that God is watching us and if it is something pleasing, good or acceptable, we would see God smiling back at us.

This uni-verse is an acknowledgement that our lives are a reflector of God ‘s image. Whatever we say and do should reflect God’s face in our lives. We should keep our lives squeaking clean and polished like a mirror or a sheet of steel. We should be like the Word of God and be an accurate mirror of the truth about God, His kingdom and His righteousness. We should not distort the impression people gather about God from our lives. It is also a prayer for restoration of our relationship with God and people. It is a prayer for restoration of our blessings and our well being. God is the first cause and the ultimate cause. He will not hesitate to move an array of forces at His command to aid or help us, to lead us, to protect and guide us. When we suffer a loss or an illness or a setback, the Lord’s face shining on us will restore our health, our finances or our strength. Whatever we have lost in the past, the Lord is willing to restore a double portion if we ask with faith. The words “ we shall be saved” reveals that we will be restored to the assurance or certainty of salvation beyond an iota of doubt.

Prateep V Philip