Psalm 80:3 NIV states, "Restore us, O God; make your face shine on us, that we may be saved."
Almost every day, I read this verse! It really is important to me in so many ways. It becomes a personal prayer for my relationships. I am referring to relationships with my spouse, daughter, siblings, in-laws--family. Let's face it, these relationships can go bad pretty quickly, yet they take a long time to repair.
In my own marriage, we have gone through those seasons in cycles, just like nature. Winter season can be so cold and bleak in a relationship. With prayer and commitment, we do get through the bitterness of conflicts. Relationships with siblings that have been shattered, for me, have been more difficult to repair. But, two things that I have learned in the last two years are God hears my prayers and God answers my prayers. It may not be as quickly as I would like, but this has taught me to put my faith and trust in God, not man.
The words, "Restore us," also are meaningful for our communities and our nation. It seems like we have been in turmoil for as long as I can remember. Growing up in the 60's I saw protesters who opposed the Vietnam War and conflict over civil rights. Decades later, we are faced with very similar battles in our culture.
The words "make your face shine on us" remind me that without God our attempts are pretty futile. We need God to be our focus at home, in our churches, in our communities, our cities, our nation, and beyond.