2026 Pentecost Devotions II
Thursday, October 1
Psalm 80:7-13
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.
“… 12 Why then have you broken down its walls, so that all who pass along the way pluck its fruit? …”
The psalmist has one question for God: “Why?” Why did you abandon Israel? Why, after watching over us for so long have you now turned your back on us. Why, after protecting us from our enemies, are you now allowing them to trample over us? Why, O Lord, have you abandoned us?
Have you ever felt that way – as if God has abandoned you? Perhaps it happened during a time of personal crisis or tragedy. Perhaps it occurred when things were going from bad to worse. Perhaps it was seen following a disaster or death. It is often during these times that our cry, like the psalmist’s, is “Why, O Lord? Why?”
Naturally, there are no easy answers to those situations. Crises and tragedies happen. Things sometimes go from bad to worse – then to worst. Disasters are part of many life experiences, and death is common to all. It is natural, in the midst of such difficulties, to ask “Why?”
Of course, deep down we know that God has not abandoned his people. Eventually, God restored Israel. God remained faithful even in the midst of the “why’s”. What was true for them is also true for us. No matter how things go with our lives, God remains steadfast in love, mercy, and forbearance. God’s love never ends; and God never abandons us.
Prayer: Lord, you promise to be with us always. When I begin to ask “why?”, remind me of Your love and Your steadfastness. Remind me that You are always with me. Amen.