Why have You broken down her hedges, So that all who pass by the way pluck her fruit? The boar out of the woods uproots it, And the wild beast of the field devours it. Return, we beseech You, O God of hosts; Look down from heaven and see, And visit this vine And the vineyard which Your right hand has planted, And the branch that You made strong for Yourself. It is burned with fire, it is cut down; They perish at the rebuke of Your countenance.

Let Your hand be upon the man of Your right hand, Upon the son of man whom You made strong for Yourself. Then we will not turn back from You; Revive us, and we will call upon Your name. Restore us, O LORD God of hosts; Cause Your face to shine, And we shall be saved!

Do you ever have that feeling of abandonment? Friends don't return your calls? Maybe even beginning to wonder if you haven't become invisible to anyone who ever knew you? Immersed in your own personal pity pot? AND IT FEELS GOOD? Woe is me, I'm a poor little boy and nobody loves me (A line from one of my children after being refused a second Popsicle or the like). It doesn't have to be rational to be comforting.

I see an element of that self pity in this passage. Had the LORD, God, the Almighty really turned His back on His chosen people or were they not listening? Surely the latter. A parent has the responsibility to refuse to aid in self-destructive behavior.

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Reading

Morning Psalm 40, Noon Psalm 119:33-40, Evening Psalm 86 .

Alternate Reading Plan based on 7 chapters/day from 7 sections of the Scriptures. My groupings are: Genesis-Joshua, Judges to Esther, Job to Song of Solomon, Psalms breaking 119 into convenient sets, Isaiah to Malachi, Matthew to Acts, Romans to Revelation.

Set your own reading schedule up in convenient groupings as fits your study habits.