Not a time for weeping...

Our Daily Bread
I have to admit that I am a big-hearted teddy bear at times.  I can cry at some sentimental commercial on television or youtube or card at Hallmark.  I get it honestly from my beloved grandfather.  Our joke was that our big bellies were necessary to make room for our big hearts!

There was weeping during the reading of the Law by Ezra.  Israel had come back to the Lord once again (see the notes on the psalm below), and they called all the people together to listen and worship.  Some folks cried during the parts where Israel turned away from God.  Their leaders, Ezra and Nehemiah, told them not to cry.  This is a time for joy and praise!  The people were instructed to "eat choice food and drink sweet drinks" and to share them with folks that were less fortunate.  It was a celebration to be the people of God once again!

Lord, please help us learn from the lesson today that we need to keep vigilant about always pursuing you and learning more about your word.

Psalm Sunday
Let's look at Psalm 80 this week.  It is a prayer of yearning and suffering like so many others.  The author is calling upon God to restore Israel to its former glory.  In the Old Testament stories, the god of a nation is seen as powerful if the nation conquers others or cannot be conquered by others.  We see over and over that the people of Israel, Yahweh's chosen people to show his glory, turn away from God, get conquered, pray a prayer like Psalm 80, repent, and then Yahweh blesses them again.  This may sound mean on the part of God, but he made a covenant, a deal with Israel, to be obedient so they can remain in the relationship.  Read it out loud!


Psalm 80

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 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,
    its shoots as far as the River.
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 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.


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We are far from perfect, but despite our mistakes and our sins, we will never abandon the Lord and he will never abandon us - adapted from a statement about Abraham from the EfM Training Guide