Tag: deserted you

Restore us, O LORD God

“For in a very little while my fury will come to an end, and my anger will be directed to their destruction.”

“Restore us, O LORD God of hosts! Let your face shine, that we may be saved!”

You will say in that day: “I will give thanks to you, O LORD, for though you were angry with me, your anger turned away, that you might comfort me.”

“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”

Psalms 85:1   LORD, you were favorable to your land; you restored the fortunes of Jacob.  You forgave the iniquity of your people; you covered all their sin.  You withdrew all your wrath; you turned from your hot anger.  Restore us again, O God of our salvation, and put away your indignation toward us!  Will you be angry with us forever? Will you prolong your anger to all generations?  Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you?  Show us your steadfast love, O LORD, and grant us your salvation.

Jeremiah 31:18     I have heard Ephraim grieving, ‘You have disciplined me, and I was disciplined, like an untrained calf; bring me back that I may be restored, for you are the LORD my God.

Lamentations 5:21    Restore us to yourself, O LORD, that we may be restored!

Micah 7:18    Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in steadfast love.

Acts 13:39     and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses.

Colossians 2:13     And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses,

Isaiah 54:7     For a brief moment I deserted you, but with great compassion I will gather you.  In overflowing anger for a moment I hid my face from you, but with everlasting love I will have compassion on you,” says the LORD, your Redeemer.

Psalms 78:38     Yet he, being compassionate, atoned for their iniquity and did not destroy them; he restrained his anger often and did not stir up all his wrath.

How do you know if God is angry with you?  How do you know if you are being disciplined?  How do you know if you are right with God? How do you know if your life is on the straight and narrow path of God?   There are many examples in scripture that speak of generations of people who lived in a way that was apart from God.  There was a choice made in their life to neglect Him and His statutes.  This choice, I have to think, was not all at once but was the result of many small steps on a path that did not honor, serve, follow, or obey God.   Taking many small steps or fewer large ones in the wrong direction on the wrong path will always end up further and further away from God.  Soon you are lost and forget what the path of God for your life looked liked.  The light on His path for your life becomes totally dimmed, if not dark and deserted.  Everyday we battle our sinful desires that want to direct our heart, mind and soul.  Neglecting Him and being complacent in service and obedience to Him is what Satan desires and uses to light a path away from God.  The only way to win this battle is to stay in His word, desiring to stay close to Him, and wanting to be led by Him.  Do not wait until you are totally lost before turning back to Him.  Call out and seek to be rescued and restored.  Seek Him and He will be found.  Humbly serve Him and He will guide you.

Joy comes in the morning

“Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust. Make me know the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul.”

“The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.”

Psalms 30:5  For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.

2 Corinthians 4:17   For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison,

Isaiah 57:15-16   For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite.  For I will not contend forever, nor will I always be angry; for the spirit would grow faint before me, and the breath of life that I made.

Isaiah 54:7-8   For a brief moment I deserted you, but with great compassion I will gather you.  In overflowing anger for a moment I hid my face from you, but with everlasting love I will have compassion on you,” says the LORD, your Redeemer.

Psalms 63:3   Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you.

Psalms 16:11  You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Matthew 5:4   “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

2 Corinthians 7:9-10   As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us.  For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.

Psalms 59:16   But I will sing of your strength; I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning. For you have been to me a fortress and a refuge in the day of my distress.

But joy comes in the morning.  It is not fun spending time grieving, in distress, weeping, and having heart deep hurt.  Yet in this life it seems as though it does find us when we do not expect it.  Where do we turn in these times for comfort?  Who is able to ease the burden in our heart?  It is God.  We have seen those who do not trust God and their grief and anger over the distress they are in never goes away.  We see others and possibly ourselves that have passed through this time of trouble and recognize it was God who carried us.  The night time of trials, grieving, distress, and heart deep hurt is followed by “joy in the morning”.  I am not sure how or what God is able to do that turns these heart hurts into joy but I know it happens.  We have all seen loved ones who are in times of hurting and our soul would do anything to remove it.  It is God who leads us through the valley of the shadow of death onto green pastures.  It is He alone who lifts us up out of the darkness into light.  No one likes going through these times alone and it surely seems like that at the time.  God is there.  We should be ever ready to be used by God to be an encouragement and help to those hurting.