Thoughts for the Day

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?

............

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.

(Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

"A promise is a promise", you've probably heard it said, more than once. A promise cannot change into something else. It can, strictly speaking, only be kept – or broken. A promise is connected to our sense of honour, our character, our integrity and our intentions. A promise is something we should work hard to keep!

Our reading today is part of Psalm 80 which is headed 'Prayer for Israel's restoration', possibly written at the time when the northern Kingdom of Israel was being destroyed by the Assyrians. It is a lament addressed to God as the Shepherd of His people asking Him to come and save those who had not yet been taken. (However, by 720 BCE the Kingdom of Israel had been destroyed). The writer pleads with God that He will save them. At the end of the Psalm he promises "never to turn back" from God, and will call on His name if he is saved.

How many times do we make promises to God when things look bleak, when we are in trouble, or when we are scared? You know the kind of thing "Heal me, Lord, and I promise to ........!" The next time I do this I shall remember the words of
John Michael Green, the US author and blogger, who said: "Love is keeping the promise anyway."

Heavenly Father,
Your Son, our Lord,
taught us that You love us
as a father loves their child,
and that You always have our good at heart.
May we keep the promises we make
as evidence of our love for You,
knowing that Your Word is always
to be trusted.
May we learn to have faith in You
no matter how dark life gets.
Amen.