Psalms 85 (84)

O Lord, You were pleased with Your land; You turned back the captivity of Jacob;
You forgave the transgressions of Your people;
You covered all their sins. (Pause)
You ended all Your wrath;
You turned from the wrath of Your anger.
Turn us, O God of our salvation,
And turn away Your anger from us.
Will You be angry with us forever,
Or will You prolong Your anger from generation to generation?
O God, You will turn and give us life,
And Your people will be glad in You.
Show us Your mercy, O Lord,
And grant us Your salvation.
I will hear what the Lord God will speak in me,
For He will speak peace
To His people and to His holy ones,
And to those who turn their heart to Him.
His salvation is very close at hand to those who fear Him,
That glory may dwell in our land.
Mercy and truth met together;
Righteousness and peace kissed each other;
Truth arose from the earth,
And righteousness looked down from heaven.
For the Lord will give goodness,
And our land shall yield its fruit.
Righteousness shall go before Him
And establish His footsteps as our pathway.

Encouraging Words

God is relentless in His love for us, His creation. He is patient as He waits for us to recognize our need for Him. He gave us His only begotten Son as a baby in a manger so that we might turn to Him and follow His footsteps on our pathway to heaven. God will bless those who submit to Him and humbly pursue Him. Glory be to God!

Romans 1:20-21

For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

Personal Challenge

No one has an excuse for not knowing about God. He has wired Himself into all of creation. He has also built a need for Him in our DNA. And yet, He forces no one to commit to Him. We, the western Christian, need to be very careful about the constraints that we put on people as to whether or not we recognize others as followers of Christ. Only God knows the true state everyone’s heart. Our role in all this is to show God’s love by loving our neighbor. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

Psalms 84:11-12 (83:12-13)

For the Lord God loves mercy and truth;
He will give grace and glory;
The Lord’s hand will not remove good things from those who walk in innocence.

Romans 1:16-17

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.”

Personal Challenge

We must always be willing to ask ourselves if we are willing to profess the gospel of Christ, the Good News, to those around us at any time or in any situation. It is this message that saves everyone who believes in it from eternal death. It is this message that gives us the ability to lead full and productive lives for our God. We need God so much more than He needs us and yet He gave His all for us. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

Psalms 84:1-2 (83:1-3)

How beloved are Your dwellings, O Lord of hosts.
My soul longs and faints for the courts of the Lord;
My heart and my flesh greatly rejoice in the living God.

Personal Challenge

Our God loves us so much. Do we have a deep love in our hearts for Him? Does our soul long for Him? Do we faint in gratitude when we see His presence in our lives? Do we greatly rejoice in Him? These characteristics are the results of pursuing Him and trying to walk in the footsteps of His Son, Jesus. Glory be to God!

Acts 28:30-31

Then Paul dwelt two whole years in his own rented house, and received all who came to him, preaching the kingdom of God and teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence, no one forbidding him.

Personal Challenge

Paul demonstrates for us the type of life that we should be living for Jesus. We are all given gifts from God that are spiritual and for the building up and edification of the church, the body of Christ. There is never a point in our relationship with Jesus where we retire from using those gifts for Him. Even when we grow weary from our labors, we continue to do His work. Glory be to God!

Psalms 73:26-27 (72:26-27)

My heart and my flesh fail,
O God of my heart; and God is my portion forever.
For behold, those who keep themselves far away from You shall perish;
You destroy away from You all who act unfaithfully.

Personal Challenge

We cannot be Christian in name only. We are not Christian because we are born in America. We are Christian because we follow Jesus Christ and try to walk in His footsteps. This means that we stay close to Him and do what He does. This means that we love God and love our neighbor. This means that we are counter to the culture that we live in because our heart and mind are focused on the kingdom of our citizenship, heaven. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

Acts 21:13

Then Paul answered, “What do you mean by weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”

Personal Challenge

Paul knew that his future in Jerusalem was filled with danger and sorrow, even to the point of death. Yet he still pressed forward because his relationship with Jesus and his calling to be an apostle for Him was greater than any potential risk. Paul was resolute to answer God’s call. This always drives me to search my heart and ask if I would be willing to answer a call such as this. Am I willing to go wherever God asks me to go? to do what He asks me to do? to live fully live for Him? Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!