Restore Us

Intro

*Start off with story of Ms. Johnson’s gr. 7 math class*

The hard lessons were at the beginning… just like Lamentations.

God is sovereign while we are not; we are invited to pour our grief out to God -> God is faithful and… He will restore us.

Read Lamentations 5:19 - 22.

God’s Sovereignty and a Heart’s Cry

It all starts where Lamentations started: acknolwedging the sovereignty of God.

“But” = transition out of lament into prayerful request for restoration.

God remains in control; He is greater than Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians. He reigns forever!

Truth proclaimed over and over again in the Psalms; all to point to the fact that God is able to restore. He alone reigns supreme and without end.

Remember: “The Lord is in the right,” and He is the only one who can help His people.

The people feel abandoned by God.

“Forget us forever” and “forsake us for so many days” is not a literal timeline, it is hyperbole (an exaggeration)

*Kind of like an impatient child on a road trip*

This cry is similar to what we see in Psalm 80:

Read Psalm 80:3 - 7.

Psalmist also feels abandoned by God, and also cries out to be restored.

“Let your face shine” is the same image as the popular benediction in Numbers 6:25, ‘the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;’

Means God is smiling at you.

Our Greatest Need is to “Turn Back” to God

Restore = turn back; return.

Verse 21 can read, “Turn us back to you, O God, that we may return.”

A deep call of repentance (turn 180 degrees away from sin and back to God).

That call of repentance is extended to us today.

Lament (for any reason) gives us a clear call to turn back to God.

These rock bottom experiences show us that what we need - before anything else - is to be reconnected with the God who loves us so.

*Share story with “Mike” and the Bible*

We need to be restored to God before any other restoration can happen. Turn back to Him!

God Desires to Renew His People

The people first ask God to restore them (turn them back to Him), and secondly ask for God to renew them.

“Renew our days as of old (v. 21b)

Renew (ironically) means to “restore; make anew”… kind of how we would think of restore.

*Talk about restoring an old car; show wedding picture*

It is back to the way it was, maybe even better!

God desires to renew and restore His people.

The people of Judah are clearly longing to be restored back to the Promised Land as God’s chosen people.

Our days as of old = the good ole days!

And He answered this prayer! (Ezra and Nehemiah).

In his great lament, God desired to restore to Job all that he had lost (and gave Him double).

After bringing us back into right relationship with Him, God desires to restore and renew us as well.

We are not designed to lament forever (even when it feels like forever).

Lamentations is left open-ended, but we can be confident that God is a God who restores and renews.

*Synagogue readers would repeat v. 21 at the end*

Pray to Him and see how He moves in your life!

It is All About Jesus

The beauty of Lamentations 5 is that it anticipates all of these prayers to be fulfilled by Jesus: It is ALL about Jesus.

Jesus reigns forever as the eternal King!

Cf. Luke 1:26-33

It is through Jesus that we can be restored to God, and brought back to Him.

Cf. Colossians 1:19-20

Upon faith in Jesus, we are completely renewed, not just restored, but into something even better!

Cf. 2 Corinthians 5:17

Also true in lament *Use analogy of kintsugi*

When you are grieving and experiencing sorrow, know that Jesus is sovereign, that He restores you back to God, and He makes you a new creation.

Conclusion

The book of Lamentations has given us a holistic view of how to lament in a way that honours God, honours others, and honours ourselves:

Acknowledge that “the Lord is in the right,” and He has answers we don’t have, He is still in control and is sovereign.

“Pour out your heart like water,” because God desires to hear your heart’s cry and promises to listern.

Trust in the faithfulness of God, proven by His loyal love and brand new experiences of mercy.

Look forward to how God will choose to restore you, as He brings you closer to Himself and renews your very spirit, making you stronger & more valuable than ever before.

Pray.

Psalm 51 was David “pouring out his heart like water” to the Lord after being convicted of his sin with Batsheba.

In this lament Psalm, he also asks God to be restored and renewed; let us sing these words together.