There are moments in our lives, both personal and collective, when we feel the weight of spiritual drought. Psalm 85 is the heart cry of a people who have experienced the judgment of God, his righteous anger, and a dryness of spirit. They long to experience God’s nearness again.
The psalm begins with a remembrance of God’s goodness and how he has shown his love and mercy in the past. The people of Israel hadn’t forgotten God’s goodness, but they had walked away from it through disobedience. In repentance, they are returning to the Lord and seeking his face once again. They remembered what it was like to experience a closeness and intimacy with God. They had tasted God’s restoration in the past, and they want to experience it once again. They were asking God for revival.
How many times have you cried out to God in the middle of a spiritual drought or a time of experiencing God’s discipline for disobedience? When was the last time your soul longed to see the goodness of God in your life?
This psalm gives us a great example of how to seek God when we feel far from him. First, remember his goodness in your life. Take time to remember how God has worked in your past and how his great love has been demonstrated in your life. Then, ask God to renew your spirit. Tell him of your longing to be in fellowship and peace with him again. Confess your sin to him and ask for forgiveness. Submit to him in obedience and commit to being a faithful servant. God’s salvation is near those who fear him.
The psalmists tell us that, “love and faithfulness will meet together, and righteousness and peace with kiss each other.” What a poetic way of saying that the God of righteousness and wrath is also the God of faithfulness and love. He is both in perfect shalom. This picture points us to Christ, where God’s love and justice meet perfectly.
What past works of God do you need to remember today? Are you bold enough to pray for revival? What would it look like for “righteousness and peace” to embrace your life?
Take some time today to seek God’s face. Remember his long-suffering and kindness and ask for your heart to be revived once again. He is near to those who fear him.
- Angel C.