Devotion 9.28.26

Psalm 80

7 Restore us, O God of hosts;

  let your face shine, that we may be saved!

8 You brought a vine out of Egypt;

  you drove out the nations and planted it.

9 You cleared the ground for it;

  it took deep root and filled the land.

10 The mountains were covered with its shade,

  the mighty cedars with its branches.

11 It sent out its branches to the sea

  and its shoots to the River.

12 Why then have you broken down its walls,

  so that all who pass along the way pluck its fruit?

13 The boar from the forest ravages it,

  and all that move in the field feed on it.

14 Turn again, O God of hosts!

  Look down from heaven, and see;

have regard for this vine,

15  the stock that your right hand planted,

  and for the son whom you made strong for yourself.

16 They have burned it with fire; they have cut it down;

  may they perish at the rebuke of your face!

17 But let your hand be on the man of your right hand,

  the son of man whom you have made strong for yourself!

18 Then we shall not turn back from you;

  give us life, and we will call upon your name!

19 Restore us, O Lord God of hosts!

  Let your face shine, that we may be saved!

Israel seeks restoration through a Davidic line, but God will restore Israel with a messianic line rather than an earthly king.

The baseball gods have spoken, and the playoffs begin tomorrow. They could have spoken earlier, had the AL West had its act together. Last year's first place team, Seattle, had no interest in maintaining its status, and neither Houston nor Texas had staying power to finish a task. Both limped toward the finish line of the marathon known as the baseball season. One barely came out on top with a .500 season, the first of its kind seen in baseball.

The game needs revamping. Its gross weight exceeds its capacity to change in needed areas, so teams that are fat, like the LA Dodgers and NY Yankees, remain competitive annually due to their ability to make a payroll that could be larger than the GDP of most countries. Other teams who might have been once great now come and go, and interest in the sport seems to wain as well.

Does baseball have what it takes or will it enter next season and immediately go on strike to resolve issues years in the making? 1994 was the last time that happened and it almost killed the game.

Asaph, the writer of today's psalm, is asking for restoration of Israel from the one true God, the true shepherd of his flock, the vine whom he led out of Egypt and planted and grew to greatness. He's speaking to God to turn to Israel in a manner like our benediction, "May the Lord bless you and keep you, may the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you...." (Numbers 6:24 - 26).

In asking God to turn to them, God asked Israel, through the prophets and us through his Word, to turn to him. Occupation armies, the wild hogs that ravaged Israel, were allowed to deface the sacred land to get Israel to repent. God hears their prayer, will seek repentance from his people and will send a Son to them to cover their sins and ours for thousands of generations who believed in the promise and thousands more who believe in the Son, and thousands more yet to come.

Our God is a God of action, and he does save us to this day, from our sin, death and Satan. Suffering is temporary, and glory eternal through his Son Jesus Christ.

We give thanks today for this glory and repent for our sin. Amen.

Hope Men's Ministry is a ministry in service to Hope Lutheran Church and School. Our purpose is to grow, unite, and share God's Word to all men through meaningful activities. These activities center on fellowship, service, conversation, prayer, study and devotion as we seek to become men of God as He created us to be.