Psalm
85 reminds me of my personal salvation experience. I always pictured
God holding a scale, weighing my good and my bad. I hoped over time
I could tip the needle in the right direction. I believed, if I just
had enough faith, I could be close to God. At 26 years old, God
brought me to a church that taught His word. It was there that I
read examples of other faulty men like me and of the God
that does not change.
The psalm begins by recalling God’s special relationship with the
nation of Israel. “You
showed favor to Your land… You restored the fortunes“.
He adds, “You
forgave the iniquity of Your people and covered all their sins… and
turned from Your fierce anger“.
This was probably written after the Babylonian captivity as the
Hebrew people were returning to the Promised Land. He then prays
with a confidence in God’s mercy, “Restore
us again, O God our Savior“.
I believe this is the key to a fulfilling relationship with God. He
is faithful, we are not! So many people begin their spiritual
journey with the desire to “get right with God”. They believe
they can clean up their own life to make themselves presentable or
maybe even worthy of God’s love. Sadly some people get on a
performance treadmill and run for years. Lots of effort, but they
end up no closer to God. Many times they are oblivious to the humble
heart kneeling beside them simply asking “God,
have mercy on me, a sinner”
(Luke 18:13).
Nehemiah
chapter 8 was written as Jerusalem was being rebuilt. It gives us
some insight into this psalm. It describes what happened when the
people read God’s Word with understanding. “Ezra
the priest brought the Law before the assembly, which was made up of
men and women and all who were able to understand“.
I believe the Holy Spirit of God opens our understanding and this is
one of the reasons believers are encouraged to gather together. It
continues, “all
the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law“.
This was not something they squeezed in between phone calls, but a
time set aside to focus on God’s teaching. Nehemiah also adds,
“The
Levites… instructed the people in the Law… making it clear and
giving the meaning so that the people could understand what was being
read“.
I worry any time someone claims to have special understanding of
God’s Word. Someone once said the best commentary on the Bible is
the Bible. Nehemiah assured the people, “Do
not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength“.
Both joy and strength are found in His Word.
The
psalm continues with an appeal to God’s limitless grace. “Will
you prolong your anger through all generations? Will you not revive
us again,
that
Your people may rejoice in You?”
Maybe this is where you are now, uncertain that God could possibly
forgive you? He prays, “Show
us Your unfailing love… grant us Your salvation“.
He also tells the reader, “I
will listen to what God the Lord will say; HHHHe
promises peace to His people“.
It is interesting that in the same chapter he also explains that God
is holy. “His
salvation is near those who fear Him“.
This is the starting point. Sin cannot exist in His presence, but
he includes the solution. He writes, “Love
and faithfulness meet together;
righteousness
and peace kiss“.
Sin requires atonement and that is found only in the perfect
sacrifice- Jesus Christ. “Faithfulness
springs forth from the earth, and
righteousness
looks down from heaven“.
No terror on earth will compare to standing before God trusting in
your own works. The apostle Paul said, “I
know that nothing good lives in me”
(Romans 7:18). The psalmist adds, “The
Lord will indeed give what is good“.
This gift is for everyone who has just enough faith to ask! “Faith
comes
by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God”
(Romans 10:17).