How to Turn to God
Psalm 80 is a prayer of repentance in an absolutely proper way. The Psalmist wants to once again experience the favor and presence of God.
But notice the request:
Psalm 80:3 (NLT) Turn us again to yourself, O God. Make your face shine down upon us. Only then will we be saved.
This phrase "Turn us again to yourself" is repeated throughout the Psalm. It's the heart of the prayer.
We cannot truly turn ourselves to God. Our idol-making hearts always drift from proper devotion to vain and lesser things. We come to God even subconsciously to get what we want out of Him. A relationship fixed, a marriage healed, an addiction conquered... Or perhaps even the feeling of well being... the financial blessing... the sense of being in a better place. These are fine things, but not the end, not the final destination for God's people.
We need God to turn us because on our own we don't even turn properly. Only God can properly turn us. And where? To Himself, that we may see His face shinning down upon us. This is what saves. The contrast is implied. God is light... we are in darkness. His is the one who shines, we are the ones who behold and reflect. We don't need things, we need light. We don't need feelings, we need clarity and proper vision of who He is. Only then will we walk in fellowship.
Light was the first thing God spoke into existence upon the Heavens and Earth.
Genesis 1:3 (ESV) And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
This was the Aaronic (high priestly) blessing for God's Old Covenant people:
Numbers 6:24–26 (ESV) 24 The Lord bless you and keep you; 25 the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; 26 the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.
So too John must have had this Psalm in mind when he would write:
1 John 1:5–7 (ESV) 5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.
What do we need? We need God's turning hand, God's shining face, God's gracious salvation.
But notice the request:
Psalm 80:3 (NLT) Turn us again to yourself, O God. Make your face shine down upon us. Only then will we be saved.
This phrase "Turn us again to yourself" is repeated throughout the Psalm. It's the heart of the prayer.
We cannot truly turn ourselves to God. Our idol-making hearts always drift from proper devotion to vain and lesser things. We come to God even subconsciously to get what we want out of Him. A relationship fixed, a marriage healed, an addiction conquered... Or perhaps even the feeling of well being... the financial blessing... the sense of being in a better place. These are fine things, but not the end, not the final destination for God's people.
We need God to turn us because on our own we don't even turn properly. Only God can properly turn us. And where? To Himself, that we may see His face shinning down upon us. This is what saves. The contrast is implied. God is light... we are in darkness. His is the one who shines, we are the ones who behold and reflect. We don't need things, we need light. We don't need feelings, we need clarity and proper vision of who He is. Only then will we walk in fellowship.
Light was the first thing God spoke into existence upon the Heavens and Earth.
Genesis 1:3 (ESV) And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
This was the Aaronic (high priestly) blessing for God's Old Covenant people:
Numbers 6:24–26 (ESV) 24 The Lord bless you and keep you; 25 the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; 26 the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.
So too John must have had this Psalm in mind when he would write:
1 John 1:5–7 (ESV) 5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.
What do we need? We need God's turning hand, God's shining face, God's gracious salvation.
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