Observation: The refrain of this Psalm is "Restore us, O God". The psalmist compares Israel to a vine God planted and cared for, only to neglect it, so the vineyard wall breaks down and a wild boar eats its fruit.
Application: I can't help remembering that the pope once referred to Martin Luther as "A boar in God's vineyard". The irony is, depending on your perspective, in that case the "boar" was actually God's means of restoring and reforming the church.
When you pray for restoration--or anything else, for that matter---chances are, God's way of answering that prayer will be pretty different from what we expect. Sometimes healing means facing our pain. Sometimes restoration means being open to tough criticisms. What we may perceive as a "wild boar" could be a prophet seeking to renew us with God's word. Resurrection is a promise of God, but with it comes a cross, every time.
Prayer: God, I know the danger of praying for restoration, whether in the church, the world or my own life. I know it will look a lot different than I picture, and likely as not it'll be terrifying. But on a good day, I still am ready to ask: Restore us.
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