Restore and Grow

Restore and Grow

When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion,
    we were like those who dream.
Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
    and our tongue with shouts of joy;
then they said among the nations,
    “The Lord has done great things for them.”
The Lord has done great things for us;
    we are glad.

Restore our fortunes, O Lord,
    like streams in the Negeb!
Those who sow in tears
    shall reap with shouts of joy!
He who goes out weeping,
    bearing the seed for sowing,
shall come home with shouts of joy,
    bringing his sheaves with him.

Psalm 126

When I read this passage, I see a very concise summary of the Gospel.  Not much is known about this passage; but many scholars think that it was written by Hezekiah to celebrate Jerusalem being freed from Assyria (2 Kings 18 – 19).  This is a song of restoration and growth.

God is great, and can and will use any situation to bring Himself glory.  This is a given, but what isn’t a given is who He will use and how He will use them.  In these first two verses, the psalmist describes the joy Israel has in restoration.  It is like a dream, it is so unreal.  It is nothing short of a miracle just as our restoration is nothing short of a miracle.  When we are regenerated by the Holy Spirit, our heart of stone is replaced with a heart of flesh (Ezekiel 36:26).  What was once dead is now alive.  Death is not just loss of life, it’s separation, this is what makes it tragic. But new life is worth celebrating.  New life makes those around us state what good things God does, just like in verse 3.  

The Gospel does not end in our lives when we receive salvation, it continues in us as we continue to live.  When we read about God’s grace in verse 4, it is a comparison to the streams in Negeb, which was the desert in south Judah.  During the summer time, it would dry up and have little to no water.  When autumn came around, so did the rains, and the streams would overflow.  That is how God’s grace works, it overflows.  When God does something, He does it right.  When He blesses us, it is more than enough.  When Israel was restored, there was much work to do, especially in the fields.  When we are restored, there is much work to do.  Each one of us has a purpose for the Kingdom (Ephesians 2:10).  Each one of us has been blessed with a gift that shows God’s faithfulness.  His grace is not only a blessing to us directly, but it is a blessing to those around us in that He works through us.  This is how we grow as individuals, and how He grows His Kingdom.

When you read this, ask yourself two things:

1. How has God restored me?

2. What work has He given me to do?

I love you all,

Justin