Psalm 80:1-7 (NASB)
1 Oh, give ear, Shepherd of Israel,
You who lead Joseph like a flock;
You who are enthroned above the cherubim, shine forth!
2 Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh, stir up Your power
And come to save us!
3 O God, restore us
And cause Your face to shine upon us, and we will be saved.
4 O Lord God of hosts,
How long will You be angry with the prayer of Your people?
5 You have fed them with the bread of tears,
And You have made them to drink tears in large measure.
6 You make us an object of contention to our neighbors,
And our enemies laugh among themselves.
7 O God of hosts, restore us
And cause Your face to shine upon us, and we will be saved.
Many generations before the birth of Christ, the psalmist was calling on God to shine His face upon His people to restore and save them. God’s people were crying out, contending with their neighbors, made a laughing-stock of their enemies. They saw they could not save themselves; only God could rescue them from the results of their own actions. Even then God already had the plan in place; He was waiting for His perfect timing to put it into effect. When the time arrived, Jesus arrived as a tiny, helpless baby.
Thank You, Lord, that You planned for the salvation of Your people generations before the birth of Jesus. We don’t understand Your timing, but we understand that it is perfect. Jesus was born at just the right time, and He will come again at just the right time. Make us ready, Lord. In Jesus’s name. Amen.