"Now Restore Us!"

[Psalm 60]

When I think of the word “restoration,” I remember an event from about one or two years ago when I visited the home of a married couple along with a deacon from the church. At that time, the wife was going through a difficult period, and she prayed to God for restoration. After the prayer, I remember her expressing curiosity about how all pastors seem to pray for restoration. After that visit, when I returned to the church, I thought to myself, “Why didn’t I encourage that couple to repent?” I firmly believe that without addressing the issue of sin in the Lord, we cannot experience the true grace of restoration. I still remember, about two years ago, when I proclaimed the 5 R’s during the New Year's Eve service: Repentance → Reconciliation → Restoration → Reformation → Revival. For true restoration, we must first reconcile with God through repentance.

Today, in Psalm 60:1b, we see that David, the psalmist, is praying to God: “… now restore us!” (now restore us!). Based on this verse, under the title “Now Restore Us!” I would like to reflect on why David prayed for restoration, how he prayed, and finally, how his attitude was after praying for restoration, with the hope of learning the lessons it teaches.

First, why did David pray for restoration?

The reason was that they had suffered a temporary defeat in battle due to God’s discipline (Psalm 60:1-3) (Park Yun-seon). David explains the cause of their temporary defeat in the war: “O God, You have rejected us and scattered us, You have been angry…” (v.1), “You have caused the earth to tremble and have torn it open…” (v.2), “You have shown Your people hard things; You have made us drink the wine of astonishment” (v.3). Here, the “wine” (v.3) is a metaphor for God's wrath (Park Yun-seon). In other words, David had suffered a temporary defeat due to the invasion of Edom, and he understood that the cause of this was God’s anger. Ultimately, David (and the people of Judah) suffered due to God's anger (v.3). Therefore, David prayed, “Now restore us!” (v.1), “Repair the breaches, for the earth is shaking” (v.2). Since the Lord had caused the earth to tremble and break apart, naturally, there were breaches. David prayed to God to repair those breaches. This prayer was a prayer for restoration.

When God is angry and abandons us, we cannot help but lose in the spiritual battle. If God does not hold us up, we will fall, stumble, and fail in life. No matter how firmly we feel our faith is standing, and no matter how solid our family, business, or church may seem, the Lord will cause the earth to tremble and split apart (v.2). If the Lord is angry and shakes the foundations of our families, businesses, and churches, how can we avoid shaking and trembling? When, because of God’s wrath, we see many gaps in our lives and we feel shaken, we must remember that there is sin within us that provokes God's anger. We need to repent of our sins before God and seek His mercy. The reason for this is that true restoration cannot happen without genuine repentance.

Second, how did David pray for restoration?

David prayed for restoration with two certainties:

(1) David prayed for restoration with the certainty of salvation.

Look at verse 5 of today’s passage, Psalm 60: "Answer us, O God, and save us with Your right hand, to rescue those You love." Here, we see David relying on God’s love (His mercy) as he pleads with God. David was confident that God, more than anyone else, loves His people and that God would not turn a deaf ear to their cries. David believed that God would respond to their prayers and save them with His powerful right hand. I am reminded of the gospel song "Vision":
"We gather before the throne, praising the Lord together, / God’s love gave us His Son, by His blood, we are saved, / The love He poured out on the cross, like a river, it flows throughout the land, / From every nation, tribe, and people, salvation comes, and we worship Him, / Salvation belongs to our God and the Lamb seated on the throne, / Salvation belongs to our God and the Lamb seated on the throne."

(2) David prayed for restoration with the certainty of victory.

Look at verse 4 of today’s passage, Psalm 60: "You have given a banner to those who fear You, to be lifted up because of the truth (Selah)." The Bible says that God gives a "banner" to those who fear Him. Why did God give David a banner? The reason is to show that God would be with David and grant him victory. In other words, the "banner" mentioned here is the flag of victory. What is the source of this victory? It is not because the army is strong, or because they have many soldiers or powerful weapons, but because God is with them. Because God was with David, he was certain that he would have victory over Moab, Edom, and the Philistines (v. 8). Therefore, David declares, "I will rejoice" (v. 6). David, who rejoiced at the prospect of victory in battle, how could he have such confidence in his victory? "Because God has spoken with His holiness" (v. 6). Because the holy God promised to be with David, David rejoiced with the certainty of victory. Here is a line from hymn 400, verse 4 and the chorus:
"The enemies have already been defeated by the hand of Jesus, / Only the banner of the Lord shines gloriously over all the earth" (v. 4). "Go forth, go forth, for Jesus, to give our lives for Him, / And fight in the battle" (chorus).

Finally, third, what was David's attitude after praying for restoration?

In short, David trusted in God and acted courageously. Look at verse 12 of today’s passage, Psalm 60: "With God we will do valiantly, for it is He who will tread down our enemies." What does it mean to say that David "trusted in God"?

(1) To trust in God means believing that only God can guide and lead us.

Look at verse 9 of today's passage, Psalm 60: "Who will bring me into the strong city? Who will lead me to Edom?" Here, the "strong city" refers to the capital of Edom, Petra, which was known as an impregnable fortress (according to Park Yun-sun). A city as solid as a rock… David believed that only God could destroy that city and lead him and the Israelite soldiers into it.

(2) To trust in God means having faith in Emmanuel.
That is, faith in the belief that God is with us.
Look at verse 10: "Have You not rejected us, O God? And will You not go out with our armies?"
David, trusting in God, remembers how, in the past, God's anger had led him and his army to experience a temporary defeat. Now, he earnestly prayed that God would be with them. The reason is that David knew that no matter how large the army, without God’s presence, they would be powerless. In other words, he knew that the victory in battle depended entirely on whether or not God was with them. Therefore, he prayed for God's presence to be with him in this battle.

(3) To trust in God means acknowledging that human salvation is futile.

Look at verse 11: "Give us help from trouble, for the help of man is useless."
To trust in God means not relying on man. David's faith was one that did not depend on human strength but solely on God.
We must, like David, trust fully in God and act with courage. We do not need to fear our enemies. We must boldly carry the banner of the cross, fight against sin, the world, and Satan, and win the victory.

Having experienced a temporary defeat in the war against Edom due to God's anger, David prayed to God for restoration with the certainty of salvation and victory. He decided to trust in God and act with courage. We, too, should pray to God, just like David, saying, "Restore us now!"
We must pray for restoration with the certainty of our salvation and victory through faith. And we must act courageously, trusting in God.

"Restore us now!"

Pastor James

(with a heart longing for the grace of restoration)