4          Restore us again O God of our salvation,

                        and put away your indignation toward us!

   During the Christmas season it’s very easy for our eyes to get distracted. There are the decorations, the Christmas parades in some areas, the glitter and glamour of the season. Then there are the sales, the lists, the parties and get togethers that vie for our time too.

   The people of God were in yet another predicament. This isn’t the first time their eyes had wandered away from God and to other glitzy and glamorous things that the world offers. And isn’t that the way the devil works? He makes so many promises through worldly ways. If you only do this, then you’ll get that. The ways of the world seem great and appealing. The ways of the world offer glitz and glamour. “What a great gift!” And maybe so—temporarily. However, there is no lasting hope, no lasting deliverance in the ways of the world. Promises made, but disappointment in the end.

   Restore us again. This is a prayer of repentance. Repentance is not something we can do on our own. It is the work and gift of the Holy Spirit in our lives. As fallen creatures, we are very comfortable in our sins and become complacent in them. Our eyes wander and we go down that path. This happens to every person; man, woman, and child, and it happens in the Christian’s life as well. We need help. Where are we turned? We’re turned to the God of our salvation.

   God gives you the gift of salvation in Jesus. Jesus’ name means “God is salvation.”

   Matthew 1:21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.

   put away your indignation toward us! God’s anger is not because He’s an angry wrathful God simply looking for ways to make life miserable. God is not an angry God by nature. His indignation is caused because of sin. God created humanity to share in His glory and majesty. Because of the wandering eyes of our first parents, this relationship was destroyed, and we inherited their wandering eyes as well. Our wandering eyes and lives provoke the loving God to anger, and He’s got to do something about this. God is a just God, therefore He must punish sin. His justice is not contrary to His divine love. “Rather, it is an expression of divine love which has been offended, rejected and deeply grieved.”[1]

   God doesn’t put His stamp of approval on our sin. The penalty and penalty phase for sin must be meted out. However, in love and mercy God forgives sin. He turns His anger and wrath, not toward us, but rather on the Christ child, Jesus—God’s salvation. On the cross is where God sets His sight on His Son. At the cross is where God turned away His indignation toward us.

   God wants us to keep our eyes on Him and live according to His ways for our lives. However, when we rebel and sin—and we do rebel and sin against God because no one is perfect—God turns our eyes to His Gift. There’s nothing glitzy and glamorous about a Man suffering and dying on a cross. It’s when we realize that “this should have been me there,” that we understand and cherish God’s Gift in the manger.

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[1]  kāʿas Groningen, Gerard Van. Harris, R. Laird, Gleason L. Archer, and Bruce K. Waltke, eds. Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament. Accordance electronic edition, version 2.5. Chicago: Moody Press, 1980.