|
1 You, showed favour to your land; O LORD
you restored the fortunes of Jacob.
2 You forgave the iniquity of your people
and covered all their sins.[b]
3 You set aside all your wrath
and turned from your fierce anger.
4 Restore us again, God our Saviour,
and put away your displeasure towards us.
5 Will you be angry with us for ever?
Will you prolong your anger through all generations?
6 Will you not revive us again,
that your people may rejoice in you?
7 Show us your unfailing love, O LORD,
and grant us your salvation.
|
|
8 I will listen to what God the LORD will say;
he promises peace to his people, his saints but let them not turn to folly.
9 Surely his salvation is near those who fear him,
that his glory may dwell in our land.
10 Love and faithfulness meet together;
righteousness and peace kiss each other.
11 Faithfulness springs forth from the earth,
and righteousness looks down from heaven.
12 The LORD will indeed give what is good,
and our land will yield its harvest.
13 Righteousness goes before him
and prepares the way for his steps.
(NIV)
|
|
Psalm 85: Many feel that the psalm was from 520BC when the Jews returned to Jerusalem after their exile in Babylon. A song to thank God for their return to their own lands and asking God not to be angry with them. The people have missed the love of their God, and plead for Him to show His love on them again.
I wonder how many of us have gone our own way. Rejected the way of God and reached out for other ways, to get us to the place we wanted to be. But when we are there; are we happy? do we long for the love and protection we had when we were in the family of God?
This remind me of the parable Jesus told Luke 15:11-32. about the son being given half his father’s fortune and going off and spending it all. When he has nothing, he realises how good his father had been, and goes back to be a servant in his father. His father welcomes him with open arms and is glad his son has returned to him.
How happy God our Father must be, when we turn away from our sinful ways, and back to His ways. Has Stuart Townsend hymn said ‘How deep the Father’s love for us? His wounds have paid my ransom’.
|