79:1-4 God allowed the Tribes of Israel to be taken into captivity; in other words, God allowed the tribes to make their own decisions and their decisions led to captivity. It was a difficult and shameful experience but one they needed to endure.
79:5-7 From a place of discipline or consequence or waiting, we often ask God: how long? We question His character. But it would be more productive of us to remember that our God is merciful to the compassionate and repentant. Instead, we should ask Him how we can better ourselves to prepare for our next phase. We should ask how we can grow from making the same mistakes throughout our lives.
79:8-10 Of course we pray to God that He will not remember us for our mistakes. God's tender mercy will come speedily to those who request it and trust Him to deliver. He does not permanently stamp our mistakes on our foreheads or report cards. But we must commit to Him and to His philosophy of a righteous lifestyle.
79:11-12 The Psalmist prayed for God to hear him, to preserve him and to return or restore him. Indeed God has plans to do just that for all of His children. He will also take care of our enemies, for it is His power that defeats, not our own. It is His master plan that ensures the victory. But we must make sure that our lifestyle and choices align on His victorious side.
79:13 We are God's people, sheep of His pasture. And that means that we require His leadership to live and to thrive. We need Him to find us safe places. We are lost and scattered without Him, as a group as well as individually. And for His leadership we are grateful, forever. We must not forget Him or become ungrateful. Our Father deserves all of our praise, all of the time.
