Psalm 80:1, 17-19 (NIV)
Restore us, O God; make your face shine on us, that we may be saved. Let your hand rest on the man at your right hand, the son of man you have raised up for yourself. Then we will not turn away from you; revive us, and we will call on your name. Restore us, Lord God Almighty; make your face shine on us, that we may be saved.
“Restore us, O God” is a phrase that is repeated three times in this psalm and expressed the trust and dependence upon God that was needed for Israel’s restoration and blessing. Of this phrase, Spurgeon notes, “It is not so much said, ‘turn our captivity’ but turn ‘us.’ All will come right if we are right. The best turn is not that of circumstances but of character. When the Lord turns his people, he will soon turn their condition.” So, which do we think of and pray for, first? A change in our circumstances…or a change in our character? I’m pretty sure your answer matches mine.
Revival starts with a sober self-assessment.
“Make your face shine on us, that we may be saved” makes it abundantly clear that the ultimate resolution for any of our troubles and/or needs will come via the blessings of God. Israel’s history was replete with examples of this fact, and the psalmist had learned that lesson well. Without God, our own abilities will always come up short (Pr. 14:12). Without God, the trials and temptations of this world would overwhelm us (Rom. 8:28). Without God, whatever temporary pleasures and delights the world offers cannot fill the void in the human heart (2 Cor. 4:18). Without God, no amount of good works can rescue the soul from the wages of its sin (Rom. 6:23).
Revival requires 100% reliance on God’s deliverance.
“Let your hand rest on the man at your right hand, the son of man you have raised up for yourself.” Perhaps the psalmist at first was thinking about the present King of Israel when he penned these words under the guidance of the Holy Spirit…but ultimately, the “man at God’s right hand” was the promised Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ (Eph. 1:20, Heb. 8:1). The great theologian, Adam Clarke, was right to point to Christ and Christ alone with respect to the weightiness of this prophetic verse when he wrote, “Let him become our Deliverer: appoint him for this purpose, and let his strength be manifested in our weakness! By whom are the Jews to be restored, if indeed they ever be restored to their own land, but by JESUS CHRIST? By HIM alone can they find mercy; through HIM alone can they ever be reconciled to God.”
Revival flows through an active relationship with Jesus Christ.
Is the Church in America in need of revival? Does your own walk with God need a fresh wind and a fresh fire? Do we all need the radiant power, security, and love of God’s face to shine down upon our lives? Then we all need revival. Pastor Jim Cymbala, the author of “Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire,” said it well: “If we desire the ‘hand of God’ (i.e., his power) to return to our churches, we should focus less on the personalities and abilities of people, and more on Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Brutally Sober-Minded…Totally Reliant…and Enthusiastically Christ-Centered. Only then will revival enter the halls of the Church, and the chambers of our hearts.
