Where Are You, God?

Read Together
Psalm 80:7-19

Light two candles and say together
Restore us, O God.
(from Psalm 80:7) 

Reflection

This week we started by talking about John the Baptist and how he was sent to prepare the way for Jesus. We’re nearing the end of this second week of December, and as most of us are busy preparing for Christmas, we tried to become intentional about our own preparations; to see how we could invite Jesus into even those things that pile up on our to-do lists. This can be a hard task sometimes, especially when we're caught up in the busyness and caught up in the expectations of how we hope things should be. 

Here in Psalm 80, we see a prayer written from the perspective of God's people, begging God to show favour on them once more. The psalmist laments Israel's demise and wants to experience the blessings the Lord used to bestow on His people. The vine is a metaphor for the nation of Israel (God's chosen people) but you can also see how it points to Jesus, a man from the nation of Israel who came to make a way for God's people to be rooted once more (this time, not to a specific land claim, but instead to God Himself).  

In this Psalm, the psalmist asks God to turn back to see God's people and to work for their good once more. But as we read this in light of the whole arc of Scripture, we know that God's plan was never in question. We can even see glimpses of it in these very words that the psalmist wrote. 

God is not distant. He has not turned away from us. He has not stopped working out the promises He has for us. And even with all of these things being true, He also welcomes our own prayers of lament when we’re not feeling the truth in these claims. 

Maybe today you're caught up in the endless task-list of the season. You haven't stopped enough to notice God, and the guilt of wanting this season to be more meaningful is starting to exhaust you even more. 

Perhaps you're feeling the immense weight of loneliness during this season, and know that while Jesus is God With Us, doesn't He know that you just want an actual person with flesh on to spend time with during this especially long season? 

There may be any number of reasons why God feels distant to you — like He's turned His face from you this season. You're still showing up, trying to spend a little time with Him as Christmas looms, but if you were being honest, your prayer might sound a lot like: "Why have you let me feel so broken down? (verse 12) Why does it feel like you aren't listening to my prayers? (verse 4) Can't you see how hard this is? (verse 14)" 

What God's people were longing for was to be saved. They were really praying for a Saviour. And even when it felt like God had stopped working towards that promise, Jesus still came. The promised Saviour came for the nation of Israel and for all the world. God hadn't stopped noticing them. He hadn't stopped hearing them. He hadn't stopped working towards fulfilling His promise to them. And, still, He welcomes their prayers of lament. 

As we prepare to celebrate this fulfilment of a promise at Christmas, it is okay if you're wondering if God still fulfills His promises, if He still hears us, and if He still cares. He does, but don't let that stop you from taking every single part of your soul to Him. Lament and pray and ask Him where He is. Repeat back His promises to Him and tell Him that you're waiting to see them be fulfilled. And keep looking for Him in the manger and in the star overhead. Look for Him in Christmas and in every moment of your life.

Talk About

  • Has this been an easy Advent for you so far? Or has it felt a little harder?
  • Do you feel comfortable bringing your complaints to God and telling Him how you really feel?
  • What is getting in the way of really having the Advent and the Christmas you are hoping for?

Pray Together
Come back, O God, and restore us! Let your beaming face shine upon us. Look down from heaven and see your cries. Come down and care for us once again. Revive us again, that we may trust in you.
Amen. 

Put it in Action
The next time you have a bad day, tell God all about it. He is big enough to hear all your complaints and He still keeps loving you!

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