Psalms 85:1-13: a reflection

1LORD, you have been favorable to your land. You have restored the fortunes of Jacob. 2You have forgiven the iniquity of your people. You have covered all their sin. Selah. 3You have taken away all your wrath. You have turned from the fierceness of your anger. 4Turn us, God of our salvation, and cause your indignation toward us to cease. 5Will you be angry with us forever? Will you draw out your anger to all generations? 6Won’t you revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you? 7Show us your loving kindness, LORD. Grant us your salvation. 8I will hear what God, the LORD, will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, his saints; but let them not turn again to folly. 9Surely his salvation is near those who fear him, that glory may dwell in our land. 10Mercy and truth meet together. Righteousness and peace have kissed each other. 11Truth springs out of the earth. Righteousness has looked down from heaven. 12Yes, the LORD will give that which is good. Our land will yield its increase. 13Righteousness goes before him, and prepares the way for his steps.

This psalm, recalling how God has forgiven and restored his people in the past, prays for a fresh renewal in the present: Won't you revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you? The psalmist is aware of a dryness, a need for God to bring life and joy again; and he asks God to revive his people, to renew them, so that they may rejoice in him once more. It is a prayer for revival, for God to breathe fresh life into a people who have grown dry.

Notice the prayer: revive us again, that we may rejoice in you. The psalmist does not pretend all is well; he recognizes a need for renewal, a dryness that only God can remedy. And he does not try to manufacture the revival himself; he asks God for it, revive us again, knowing that fresh life and joy come from God. His prayer is humble and hopeful: humble in admitting the need for renewal, hopeful in asking the God who has revived before to revive again, that his people may rejoice in him.

That prayer, revive us again, is one we can pray in our own seasons of dryness. There are times when our life with God grows dry, when the joy has faded, when we need God to breathe fresh life into us again. In such times, we can either resign ourselves to the dryness, or try to manufacture renewal ourselves; but the psalmist shows a better way: to ask God, revive us again, that we may rejoice in you. When your life with God has grown dry and the joy has faded, do not merely resign yourself to it, nor try to manufacture renewal on your own; ask God to revive you again, as the psalmist prayed. Fresh life and renewed joy come from God; pray for them, revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you. Bring your dryness honestly to God and ask him for renewal, trusting the God who has revived his people before to breathe fresh life into you again, that you may rejoice in him once more.

Lord, this psalm, recalling how you have forgiven and restored your people in the past, prays for a fresh renewal in the present: won't you revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you? The psalmist is aware of a dryness, a need for you to bring life and joy again; and he asks you to revive his people, so that they may rejoice in you once more. It is a prayer for revival, for you to breathe fresh life into a people who have grown dry. Show me the prayer: revive us again, that we may rejoice in you. The psalmist does not pretend all is well; he recognizes a need for renewal that only you can remedy. And he does not try to manufacture the revival himself; he asks you for it, knowing that fresh life and joy come from you. His prayer is humble and hopeful. That prayer is one I can pray in my own seasons of dryness. There are times when my life with you grows dry, when the joy has faded, when I need you to breathe fresh life into me again. In such times, I can either resign myself to the dryness, or try to manufacture renewal myself; but the psalmist shows a better way: to ask you, revive us again. When my life with you has grown dry and the joy has faded, keep me from merely resigning myself to it, or trying to manufacture renewal on my own; help me ask you to revive me again. Fresh life and renewed joy come from you, Lord; help me bring my dryness honestly to you and ask you for renewal, that I may rejoice in you once more.