Restore us, O Lord

From today's reading: Restore us, O God of hosts; show the light of your countenance, and we shall be saved. Psalm 80:3

The people that were called Jews had been looking for years for the restoration of Israel. "Show the light of your countenance and we shall be saved." God had a plan - it involved a woman of faith and a little baby, small and helpless. It involved a strong man of faith to watch over the baby until he could take care of himself. The Lord planned to restore Israel through this child born 2000 years ago. A baby whose birth was noted by a few shepherds and some astronomers from the east. Thirty years would pass before the world would begin to take notice of this single life, and when it did, he was eventually killed. But this little baby, whose birth we will celebrate in a few days, was the hope of Israel and the hope of the world. Blessed is he who was born, blessed is he who will save us - even from ourselves. Let us look with joyful anticipation to the birth of the Christ child.