Restoring to God’s Blueprint
Psalm 126
Verse 4 Restore our fortunes, Lord, like streams in the Negev.
Having remembered that we are to be giving God the glory for all the things He does for us the psalmist takes a slight turn to ask for more things to give Him glory for.
Knowing God’s goodness to His people leads this psalmist to ask the Lord to restore all that has been taken from them in the destruction of their city and land. While it is easy to want things for the mere pleasure or hunger for more the writer of this hymn of praise is looking deeper for the real treasure. He knows what it is like to live in a land that is bringing attention to the faux gods of the Babylonian people and he knows that now that God has brought them back to their own land, the people of God should desire that everything should make the God of Israel known.
The task of rebuilding must have seemed overwhelming to these people as they came back and saw all that needed to be done. But if they had learned one thing it was that God would provide for His promise to be kept. The psalmist compares the fortune of the people with the streams in the lower areas of the country. These streams flow through a wilderness-like region down by the Dead Sea. Only the Creator can make streams flow in places that seem impossible.
The region of the Negev is part of the land given to the tribe of Judah. This would have been significant to these people returning from the foreign land because they would have known through the teachings of older generations that God had promised to establish His kingdom through the tribe. To be more specific God had told David, who was of the tribe of Judah that He would establish an everlasting kingdom through him. God was of course talking about Jesus who would be born in human form into the bloodline of David, something only Creator God could make happen.
The psalmist seems to be saying, “God, restore us to what You have desired from the beginning. Make us who You want us to be so we can bring You glory as Your chosen people.” This should be the prayer of our hearts too. As we come to worship Him, we should be asking Him to restore us to be the people who will reveal His glory.
Making It Personal
Have you ever struggled with the need to be restored in your relationship with God? What are some ways God has restored you in the past? What is the prayer of your heart today?
Making It Personal Kids
What things does Jesus want to make better in your life? How does Jesus work on things in your life? Do you want to let Jesus make you more like Him?
Closing Prayer
Father, thank You for the restoration You are doing in our lives. Help us become all that You desire us to be. In Jesus’ name, amen.