August 15th Reflection by Bill Lynch

Psalm 80:1–2, 8–19
Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock! You who are enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth
before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh. Stir up your might, and come to save us!

You brought a vine out of Egypt; you drove out the nations and planted it.
You cleared the ground for it; it took deep root and filled the land.
The mountains were covered with its shade, the mighty cedars with its branches;
it sent out its branches to the sea, and its shoots to the River.
Why then have you broken down its walls, so that all who pass along the way pluck its fruit?
The boar from the forest ravages it, and all that move in the field feed on it.

Turn again, O God of hosts; look down from heaven, and see; have regard for this vine,
the stock that your right hand planted.
They have burned it with fire, they have cut it down; may they perish at the rebuke of your countenance.
But let your hand be upon the one at your right hand, the one whom you made strong for yourself.
Then we will never turn back from you; give us life, and we will call on your name.

Restore us, O Lord God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved.

Reflection
When we are in trouble we look to God. We look to leadership from the Shepherd. We look to the Light.

We call, yes we cry out to God and he comes down. I've heard the expression before... "God always comes down." God comes to us in our darkest moments. God comes down with a call to be obedient. We turn to God and seek his will and his way. We turn to God and seek healing and salvation. We turn to God as God comes down to us.

But, oh our stubborn hearts. There are those times that we are too stubborn to turn to God. We are too stubborn to cry out for help. We turn everywhere but to God for the solution. Sometimes we turn inward and think the solution is within ourselves. Sometimes we reject God.

But, God is willing to come to us anyway. God comes to us even though we are stubborn. God comes and shows himself. God reveals himself to us in the promise he has always had. And then it's up to us. What's our response to this loving God that always comes down?

Prayer
Lord, open my mind and clear my stubborn heart. I see your blessing and seek obedience to your will and your way... today... tomorrow... and forever. --- Amen