Restore us, O Lord God Almighty; make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved. —Psalm 80:19.
In the days of Jesus’ birth, a group of devout and lowly people were looking for God’s redemption of his people. We meet some of them in the first two chapters of Luke’s Gospel — Zechariah and Elizabeth, Anna and Simeon, along with Mary and Joseph. They knew that salvation could not, and would not, come without great cost — not just to themselves, but also to God. Isaiah had prophesied about this redemption in his Servant Songs (Isaiah 53:1-12). They had experienced suffering and hardship in their own history. So with honest hearts, they confessed that they didn’t have the power to bring their own salvation and deliverance. This power had to come from their almighty God. They believed God would release this power for the powerless, yet righteous and devout, people seeking God’s transformation in their lives and waiting for God to console and redeem Israel (Luke 2:25; 24:21). They knew they needed to ask God for it! They knew to seek his face and find his presence in their daily lives. So we join them as we cry out, “Restore us, O Lord God Almighty; make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved.”