Bible Studies

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The Psalms
Psalm 80:1-2, 8-19 – Life in the Vineyard
Key Verses: (NCV)

• 1-2: “Shepherd of Israel, listen to us. You lead the people of Joseph like a flock. You sit on your throne between the gold creatures with wings. Show your greatness ²to the people of Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh. Use your strength and come to save us.” – This psalm was probably written following the destruction of Northern Israel by the Assyrians. It is a prayer for God to bring Israel back to its former glory.
  
  
• 8-9: “You brought us out of Egypt as if we were a vine. You forced out the other nations and planted us in the land. ⁹You cleared the ground for us. Like a vine, we took root and filled the land.” – A vine lovingly cared for, carefully planted, and continuously nurtured.
  
  
• 12-13: “So why did you pull down our walls? Now everyone who passes by steals from us. ¹³Like wild pigs they walk over us; like wild animals they feed on us.” – The vinedresser had turned His back; His loving care and protection had been removed.
  
  
• 14: “God All-Powerful, come back. Look down from heaven and see. Take care of us, your vine.” – The psalmist recognizes the need to have God in our lives. Without Him our vines grow wild and our fruit sours.
  
  
• 17-18: “With your hand, strengthen the one you have chosen for yourself. ¹⁸Then we will not turn away from you. Give us life again, and we will call to you for help.” – A call for renewal and a promise to do better.
  
  
• 19: “LORD God All-Powerful, take us back. Show us your kindness so we can be saved.” – Only God offers salvation.
  

Points to Contemplate:

• Are you in the wilderness, lost and desperate? Are you looking around and wondering why your life is filled with struggle, pain, and sorrow? Do you remember a brighter time when the sun always seemed to shine and everything you did seemed to flourish? Do you feel abandoned and alone? Have your walls been torn down and are the wild animals feeding on your branches? This psalm was written during a time that Israel had lost everything and its people were dispersed far and wide. If you have lost every reason to hope and only see a future that is bleak and dark, will you read this psalm as your personal prayer and ask God to provide His blessings and loving kindness to you?
  
  
• Are you in the vineyard, lush and thriving? Are you looking around and wondering why everything in your life seems to grow and flourish? Do you remember a darker time when the sun never seemed to shine and everything you did failed to grow? Do you feel cared for and loved? Are your walls strengthened and is the fruit you bear protected from the wild animals attempting to feed on your branches? This psalm remembers a time when Israel flourished under the nourishment of God’s love; its people were a close-knit family. If everything in your life seems hope-filled and your future is bright, will you read this psalm as your personal prayer and thank God for His blessings and loving kindness to you?
  
  
• Is it time for renewal? Regardless if your life is grim or bright right now, can you see the importance of asking God come into your life anew and fill you with His loving Spirit? No matter how successful your ministries for God have been, do you accept that there is much more that can be done? As a vine in His loving care, will you continue to call for God’s help so that the fruit you bear will be bountiful and sweet?
  

Promise of the Gospel:

As we look into the lives of the Israelites and read about their glories and failures, we can see a direct correlation and pattern to the issues we face in our own lives. We can experience times of growth where everything we touch seems to flourish. We can also experience times of pain, sorrow, and separation where the future seems dark and grim. Today’s prayer helps us to remember that God is always there to tend and care for us, when we seek His loving kindness. There may be times when everything will need to be torn down and begun anew. Perhaps the weeds have grown too high or our branches too stiff. Renewal is a promise that God always holds before us, willingly setting aside our past mistakes and planting us anew in the deep, rich soils of His love.

FUMC Devotionals

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