Ultimate Praise
Psalms: Praising God in all circumstances
by
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Chapter 100
Restoration
Psalm 126:1–6
Restoration presupposes something gone awry. Something must have gone wrong or off-track before it needs restoration. The original plan is no longer what the current reality is. In our world, things are today not what God intended at creation. When you re-read the creation account in the early part of Genesis you find that God said that what He did was good, and after creation of humankind He said it was very good – Genesis 1:27, 28, 31. We all agree that the state of our world, many countries, communities and individuals is not good. This is why restoration is necessary. Our personal plans sometimes find deviations as we go on in life – and this is not referring to many people who do not know what to do in life and, when they do, they do not plan.
The passage actually refers to Jerusalem; we should know that Jerusalem has seen plenty of trouble and has had a really checkered history. Readers of this article may identify with the fact that their lives have been anything but smooth. Frequently, the crooked paths and the rough places were their own creation. Conscience tells them that they are the culprits, but they brush it off and look for scapegoats. They look to the left and to the right, and cannot find a way out. They have a deep longing for restoration and wait for it. Sometimes, they make spirited attempts at getting their lives back on track but discover that achieving restoration by the destroyer could be very difficult, though not impossible. Like in the history of Jerusalem, we see the handiwork of God’s grace in our lives. We see Him turn around things for us, sometimes unexpectedly. In spite of our confusion, we hear ourselves saying: ‘…Our mouths were filled with laughter,’ – verse 2. Our friends (and even watchers who are not so friendly) cannot but agree with the restoration and say “The LORD has done great things for them” – verse 2. If you have not experienced the above situation yet, be assured that it will happen as you pray, do the right things and remain on the watch-out. You will also be able to say “When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dreamed” – verse 1.
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About the Book
Ultimate Praise is unique in a number of ways, including: a) Each chapter is a reading and study material written in English that is simple enough for a 10-year old to understand, yet not oversimplified for adults to get bored using it. Younger readers may work on the few puzzles, and parents explain the contents of the reading portion to them; b) All subject areas are from the Book of Psalms with each title and write-up chosen to show the relevance of God’s Word to a reader’s life; c) It is life-based, family-friendly, and totally inter-denominational, avoiding areas of doctrinal controversies; d) These Psalms passages, and associated titles, cover a wide variety of human behavior, activities and relationships; they demonstrate God’s continuing intervention in the affairs of humankind, even as individuals. The Psalms is a book of songs with rich and deep meaning, meeting every positive and negative experience in our lives. The short articles show us how truth from the Psalms can help us praise God in all circumstances.
About the Author
Inyang UKOT has a passion for personal and family growth among Christians. He is fully persuaded that every part of the Bible is relevant to the modern world and our daily living; a little study, even in a relaxed mood like engaging the mind by playing puzzles, is at least one step forward in achieving the desired positive experience with God and fellow humankind. At the time of this publication he has been in continuous practice as a physician for 38 years; he has two post-graduate fellowships in Family Medicine dated 28 and 24 years respectively. He also has a post-graduate diploma of the Royal College of Physicians of London, in Occupational Medicine. He is married to Sarah and has four adult daughters: Grace, Elor, Sarah Jr. and Joy.