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1 Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock! You who are enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth 2 before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh. Stir up your might, and come to save us! 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. 16 They have burned it with fire, they have cut it down; may they perish at the rebuke of your countenance. 17 But let your hand be upon the one at your right hand, the one whom you made strong for yourself. 18 Then we will never turn back from you; give us life, and we will call on your name.19 Restore us, O Lord God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved. (Psalm 80:1-2, 8-19 NRSV)
Our God is a God of Life. Newness and Life. Compassion and Love. Fresh Starts and Second Chances. The Author of the unfinished book, but Who is still writing; each stroke brings something wonderful and unexpected. Our God is the God who calls and sends. Our God equips the saints willing to serve and some of the transformations are incredible. Our God has heard all the excuses in the world and counters those which need changing. The call may not be to lead a mega church or preach in arenas; but a call to love your neighbor is just as important if not more. The call to walk across the aisle in church to shake the hand of the brother or sister you've come to consider an enemy rather than a spiritual sibling; can and should be made. You may be called to spend time with your family and away from the phone. The psalmist is sharing his call to God, Who has been calling us all along.
Ask any honest preacher why she is a preacher and she will tell you a story of transformation. Ask any honest lay leader, Sunday school teacher, youth counselor, etc., and you will hear the tales of God's involvement in lives, many unsuspecting, and how God brought those changes and the blessings began flowing.
The psalmist cries out to the Shepherd of Israel—the One who led His people like a flock and planted them like a choice vine. God had tenderly uprooted His people from Egypt, clearing the land and allowing them to take root and flourish. But now, the vineyard lies vulnerable, its walls broken, its branches ravaged by enemies.
This passage forces us to wrestle with two truths:
God is both the loving planter who delights in His vineyard and the righteous Judge who allows it to experience the consequences of neglecting Him.
Restoration is possible, but it requires honest repentance and a turning back to Him.
The refrain “Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we may be saved” is more than a poetic cry—it’s a declaration of dependence. It says, “We cannot fix this on our own. We need Your presence, Your mercy, Your power.”
Our lives, too, can be like that vineyard—once flourishing under God’s care, but vulnerable when we let down the walls of prayer, compromise our obedience, or pursue self-reliance. The good news is that the same God who plants and prunes is also the One who restores and revives. But He calls us to return, not halfway, but fully—our hearts, our wills, our lives.
PRAYER: Lord, You are my Shepherd and the Gardener of our souls. We confess the places where we have allowed the walls to crumble and the weeds to grow. Shine Your face on us again. Uproot what is harmful, strengthen what is weak, and cause us to bear fruit that lasts. Restore our joy, renew our faith, and make our lives a vineyard that honors You. In Jesus’ strong name we pray, Amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! OUR CALL TO ACTION: Identify one “broken wall” in your walk with God this week. Bring it before Him in prayer and invite His restoring work to begin there.
I love you and I thank God for you!
Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.
