Psalm 85: A Beautiful Song

 

Today's devotion: A Beautiful Song

Psalm 85:7 Show us your unfailing love, Lord, and grant us your salvation. (NIV)

There’s something simply beautiful about the whole of Psalm 85. The writer tells of a time when the people of God were looking for forgiveness and mercy for the foolish and sinful mistakes they had made in the past. The whole community felt as though God was angry with them, so both the psalmist and the people prayed for God’s grace.

The psalm begins with a plea for forgiveness of the past and then develops into a prayer for restoration. It’s a very simple way of expressing faith in God’s love for people, and of asking for reassurance in a troubled time. The psalm ends with a song of praise about God’s goodness and leaves the reader, as well as the singers, with a lot of hope for the future. It’s a beautiful song of faith which during this whole pandemic crisis becomes a perfect poem of restoration and renewal.

I don’t know about you, but I needed to re-read and embrace this psalm today to know and experience God’s love, mercy, and grace. I hope and pray that you can do the same. 😊

You can read all thirteen beautiful verses of the psalm at this link: Psalm 85.

Prayer: Lord God, thank You for Your mercy and grace, especially when we feel unworthy to receive it. Restore us with Your Spirit of goodness and lead us into a better future. In Christ’s Name, we gratefully pray. Amen.

Pastor John

www.erinpres.org

Advent Devotion - Perfect Peace - Psalm 85:8

Psalm 85:8 Let me hear what God the Lord will speak, for He will speak peace to His people, to His faithful, to those who turn to Him in their hearts. (NRSV)

            Sometimes we get so busy at this time of year that we forget to listen to what God is saying to us. We get so wrapped up in meeting deadlines – personal and work-related – that we set God aside and promise within our hearts to get back to Him later. It’s not that we mean to diminish God’s presence or lessen His influence over us, we are just too busy for our own good and end up harassing ourselves with stress and pressure, which keeps us awake at night and makes us tired throughout the day. We become our own worst taskmasters and complicate Christmas in ways that were never intended by God.

            When I came across today’s highlighted verse, I knew it was meant for me. I’ve been listening too much to other things – the nightly news and political panels, the urgent cry to get everything done, the clamor of crowds, and the voice in my head that keeps telling me I’m not doing enough to make things perfect for other people. I listen to them all and buckle under the burden of these relentless sounds. And yet somewhere, God is saying something substantial and is patiently waiting for me to listen. He speaking peace to me and everyone around me. He is gently and quietly offering His gift of shalom – the perfect peace for our bodies, minds, hearts, and souls. We’re just not listening which is sad because God really wants us to know, receive, and experience this perfect gift of this holy season.

            So today, I’ve decided to let go of all those stressful things and loud noises around me. Instead, I’ll let God do what He does best – to speak quietly to my heart and breathe peace into my weary soul.

Point to ponder

How much peace do I need from God?

Prayer: Lord God, speak quietly to our hearts and help us to free ourselves from ourselves. Help us to stop, wait, and listen so that we may hear Your beautiful and loving words of peace. In Christ’s Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to give feedback about today’s message, please send him an email to Traqair@aol.com.

Today’s image is one of John’s latest Nativity drawings called “Mary Knew.” If you would like to view a larger version, please click this link: Mary.