ARE YOU SLEEPING, GOD?
Opening Prayer
Father God, I praise you for your persistent faithfulness to the church and in my own life—faithfulness that is promised forever.
Read PSALM 80
Psalm 80[a]
For the director of music. To the tune of “The Lilies of the Covenant.” Of Asaph. A psalm.
1 Hear us, Shepherd of Israel,
you who lead Joseph like a flock.
You who sit enthroned between the cherubim,
shine forth 2 before Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh.
Awaken your might;
come and save us.
3 Restore us, O God;
make your face shine on us,
that we may be saved.
4 How long, Lord God Almighty,
will your anger smolder
against the prayers of your people?
5 You have fed them with the bread of tears;
you have made them drink tears by the bowlful.
6 You have made us an object of derision[b] to our neighbors,
and our enemies mock us.
7 Restore us, God Almighty;
make your face shine on us,
that we may be saved.
8 You transplanted a vine from Egypt;
you drove out the nations and planted it.
9 You cleared the ground for it,
and it took root and filled the land.
10 The mountains were covered with its shade,
the mighty cedars with its branches.
11 Its branches reached as far as the Sea,[c]
its shoots as far as the River.[d]
12 Why have you broken down its walls
so that all who pass by pick its grapes?
13 Boars from the forest ravage it,
and insects from the fields feed on it.
14 Return to us, God Almighty!
Look down from heaven and see!
Watch over this vine,
15 the root your right hand has planted,
the son[e] you have raised up for yourself.
16 Your vine is cut down, it is burned with fire;
at your rebuke your people perish.
17 Let your hand rest on the man at your right hand,
the son of man you have raised up for yourself.
18 Then we will not turn away from you;
revive us, and we will call on your name.
19 Restore us, Lord God Almighty;
make your face shine on us,
that we may be saved.
Footnotes
- Psalm 80:1 In Hebrew texts 80:1-19 is numbered 80:2-20.
- Psalm 80:6 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text; Masoretic Text contention
- Psalm 80:11 Probably the Mediterranean
- Psalm 80:11 That is, the Euphrates
- Psalm 80:15 Or branch
New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
Slowly repeat these words from Psalm 16: ‘Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup; you make my lot secure’ (Psalm 16:5).When it comes to prayer, God prefers a vat of honesty to a veneer of holiness. In this psalm the Asaphite worship leaders in Jerusalem hurled their frustrations and confusion at God. Don’t you remember that we are your people (v. 1)? Surely you can recall that you saved us from Egypt and planted us in a new land? All the world saw how you caused us to grow and prosper! So how come you’ve given up on us (v. 12)? How long will you ignore our prayers and make us feel bitter and ridiculed (v. 6)?
The feelings ran deep. The context was the loss of the Northern tribes of Israel (v. 2) to Assyrian invasion around 735 BC. The worshippers down south in Jerusalem were shocked at the humiliating desolation of God’s own people (v. 16).
As we in the western world witness the steady decline in the size, health, and influence of the Christian church, are we similarly moved? Can we share in the honest cries of the Asaphites: Restore us (vv. 3, 7, 19)! Wake up and save us (v. 2)! Return to us: watch over us, and smile on us again (vv. 14, 19)!
Apply
Find a symbol of your nation: perhaps a flag, map, or object that sums up your national culture. As you look at it, in what ways do you see God’s hand in working out his purposes?
Closing prayer
Almighty God, strengthen your people in my country. Help the church be a testimony that is pure and eager to share your truth in love; convict us of our need to follow you as Jesus did.
Book and Author Intros
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