"Turn us back to You, O LORD, and we will be restored.
Renew our days as of old."
Lamentations 5:21
A five year old boy was upset with his mother. He pouted for a while and then said, "I'm leaving home." To his surprise the mother said, "Okay." He put some things in a bag and told her that he was leaving. Again, she simply said, "Okay." Of course, she watched him from the window. He walked to the end of the street, thinking that his mother would come out of the house begging him to return. It didn't happen. Where would he go? What would he do? He knew that it was better for him to return home. He was never out of his mother's sight. He returned home to the loving arms of his mother.
God's children often don't want to live by His will of command. We may even go astray and follow our own way. It never satisfies the child of God who knows the Father's love and care. When we return, His arms of love are open to receive us. Lamentations is the story of God's people who departed from His ways. They went astray. The story ends with the people desiring to turn back to God.
The people of ancient Jerusalem understood that they couldn't change anything without God's help. They prayed, "Turn us back to You, O LORD, and we will be restored." Only God could turn them back and restore them. The very prayer that they offered tells us that God was indeed turning them back to be restored. Do you need a change in your life that only God can make? He is able to restore us, turning us back to Himself.
LORD, turn us back to You.
