In The Word
Read: Psalm 85
Prayer for God’s Mercy upon the Nation.
For the choir director. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.
85 O Lord, You showed favor to Your land;
You restored the captivity of Jacob.
2 You forgave the iniquity of Your people;
You covered all their sin. Selah.
3 You withdrew all Your fury;
You turned away from Your burning anger.
4 Restore us, O God of our salvation,
And cause Your indignation toward us to cease.
5 Will You be angry with us forever?
Will You prolong Your anger to all generations?
6 Will You not Yourself revive us again,
That Your people may rejoice in You?
7 Show us Your lovingkindness, O Lord,
And grant us Your salvation.
8 I will hear what God the Lord will say;
For He will speak peace to His people, to His godly ones;
But let them not turn back to folly.
9 Surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him,
That glory may dwell in our land.
10 Lovingkindness and truth have met together;
Righteousness and peace have kissed each other.
11 Truth springs from the earth,
And righteousness looks down from heaven.
12 Indeed, the Lord will give what is good,
And our land will yield its produce.
13 Righteousness will go before Him
And will make His footsteps into a way.
New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Walking In The Word
The psalmist expressed his gratitude for God’s goodness in forgiving the sins of His people and restoring divine favor. He asked God to remove His wrath and to show loving-kindness. The consequences of sin had left the people empty and poor. Now that they were home again, the people needed God to provide for them through bountiful harvests. The psalmist acknowledged that salvation and peace would only come from going the way the Lord directed.
There are many good things that the Lord desires for us to have as a result of salvation and following His Holy Spirit. One of those benefits is an abundance of peace. The writer of today’s psalm said that God would speak peace over those who turn from sin. Sin is folly that robs peace and joy, especially the folly of backsliding and returning to old sins.
If we will listen to God, He will show us the right way to go. He has provided His Spirit to guide us through His Word to lead us on the right path, the Ancient Path. The psalmist stated, “Righteousness will go before Him, And will make His footsteps into a way.” By going God’s way, our lives will be filled with overflowing peace and joy.
The Israelites found themselves with bad consequences from repeated sin. Do you find yourself continually going down the wrong path, robbing your life of joy and peace? If so, return to God’s path faithfully and find the glorious benefits that God desires for your life.