UNLESS GOD
INTERVENES IN MY LIFE, I HAVE NO HOPE
Psalm 80:3
Restore us, O God;
let your face shine, that we may
be saved!
The writer
asks God to show Himself and restore them. They knew very well that their sin
had caused their pain and that they needed restoration.
Psalm 80:1
Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel,
you who lead Joseph like a
flock.
You who are enthroned upon the cherubim,
shine forth.
He was
their shepherd; they needed to be led back in the presence of the omnipotent
and holy God. God had blessed them in the past but now, because of their sin,
they suffered by the hands of their enemies.
Dear
friends, I am reminded over and over again of the mercy of God.
God came
down to us and loved us when we were unlovable, rebellious, following our own
desires and lusts.
Romans 5:8
…God
shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for
us.
Galatians
2:20
I have been crucified with Christ. It is
no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in
the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Ephesians
2:4-5
But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he
loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—
1 John
4:9-10
In
this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son
into the world, so that we might live
through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved
us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
1 John 3:1a
See
what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children
of God; and so we are.
How could I
ever be driven to bitterness, how could I ever forget to be grateful, how could
I ever not love and forgive others, when I read and meditate on these verses?
What I
should be surprised about is that, although I have known Christ, I continue in
sin and expect forgiveness! Oh, I know He has promised to forgive me and show
grace, but how grieved I should be when I offend Him!
I look back
at my life and see the times when I slipped into seasons of discontent and sin;
I cannot help but marvel that God would forgive me again and again.
Christ is
my advocate; He reminds the Father that I am His! Oh, what a privilege; oh,
what a responsibility!
We rejoice
that after a season of clouds and rain, the sun shines and warms us again. How
much more should we be warmed by the fact that God shines His face upon us!
I am
saddened by the scars and consequences of my sin, but I am driven to praise
that I can rest assured that I am forgiven, and that my sins have been covered
by the blood of Christ. My eternal destiny is sure. No, not for anything I have
done, but because my God loves to forgive and show compassion.
Hebrews
4:16
Let us then with confidence draw near to
the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time
of need.
May these
be our recurring words each day: I NEED YOU, O GOD, AND I AM PERFECTLY
SATISFIED IN YOUR GRACE!
1. I need Thee every hour, most gracious Lord.
No tender
voice like thine can peace afford.
I need Thee,
oh, I need Thee;
Every hour
I need Thee!
Oh, bless
me now, my Savior;
I come to Thee!
2. I need
thee every hour; stay Thou nearby.
Temptations
lose their power When Thou art nigh.
3. I need
thee every hour, in joy or pain.
Come
quickly and abide, or life is vain.
4. I need Thee
every hour, most holy One.
Oh, make me
Thine indeed, Thou blessed Son!
By Annie S. Hawks, 1835-1918
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