The Blessing of Restoration

A Reflection for Friday, December 19 by Jeanne Barnes

Lectionary reading for 12/19/2025: Psalm 80:1-7,17-19; 2Samuel 7:18-22; Galatians 1:1-7; Selected passage for reflection: Psalm 80:1-7,17-19 (NRSV)

Read

Psalm 80:1-7,17-19 (NRSV)

Give ear, O shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock! You who are enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh. Stir up your might and come to save us!

Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we may be saved.

O Lord God of hosts, how long will you be angry with your people’s prayers? You have fed them with the bread of tears and given them tears to drink in full measure.  You make us the scorn of our neighbors; our enemies laugh among themselves.

Restore us, O God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved.

Let your hand be upon the one at your right hand, the one whom you make strong for yourself.  Then we will never turn back from you; give us life, and we will call on your name.

Restore us, O Lord God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved.

Reflect

As I read this passage and notice how often the word “restore” appears, I’m reminded of our area’s experience after Hurricane Ivan.  It’s been over 20 years, but the memories are still vivid. After seeing our homes, churches, and schools – essentially all of our community- in rubble, all we wanted was restoration.  We wanted everything, including our hearts, to be just as they were before the storm.  We cried over the present and pined for the past.  We were unable to look to the future.  

But as you might expect, our world was never the same.  It was rebuilt, not as before, but as even better.  Our houses were stronger, our churches more beautiful, and our schools more functional.  Our community was restored, too. We bonded over Red Cross food and local water stations. Neighbors who had previously only waved to one another now became friends who truly cared for one another.  Restoring meant more than returning to the past; it meant revitalizing.  It signaled a new life.  We had recovered from a curse with a much greater blessing than we could have imagined.

That blessing was what the psalmist wanted for his people and what we still want for our world.  We aren’t facing the same dark times of the Jewish people, but we’re living in a time that needs the same light they needed. Our darkness hangs just as heavy. Their song becomes our song.

In Psalm 80, the writer starts out by invoking the shepherd.  Most of us have probably never seen an actual shepherd, but don’t we sometimes yearn for that metaphorical figure?  We dream of a day or two with no responsibilities, no decisions, and no planning.  We just want to be led.  And in our fractured world, isn’t the scene of the shepherd leading a whole flock inviting?  No yelling, no division, no violence.  And if one sheep wanders off, we know the shepherd will bring it back.  The flock will move forward as one. 

But harmony is not enough.  After the psalmist asks for the shepherd’s attention, his plea turns to “let your face shine” upon us, and to the ultimate request: “save us.” Once again, their song becomes our song.  We, too, want to find favor with God. We, too, need the light of grace to fall upon us so that we may be saved. 

After the pleading, the passage turns to questions.  When will the suffering end? When will the tears dry up and the enemies stop ridiculing?   Our modern-day prophets ask the same questions.  When will our world change?  We’ve had enough of the food of hate and the drink of malice.  We, too, want to be restored.

Finally, as we hear Israel's longing for the third time, we plead for the light of God’s face to illuminate our lives.  And so, like the Psalmist, with humility and contrition, we beg for peace and salvation not once but three times.  Restore us, O Lord. With your grace, rebuild us even better.

Respond

As we near Christmas 2025, let the song of our hearts be a plea for restoration.  Let our lives be a ray of renewed light. And let our carols be sung with the fire of hope and the flame of faith.

Rest

O God who loves your people, let your hand bless us, your light guide us and your grace restore us. Be our shepherd.

About the Author

Jeanne Barnes is a retired English teacher living in the small coastal town of Gulf Breeze, Florida. There, she has been instrumental in organizing a weekly faith-sharing group for over 30 years.  She is also co-chair of the Foster Family Support Ministry, an organization that advocates for safe and loving placement of foster children, as well as providing support and respite care for the foster families.