Lord, you’ve been kind to your land;
you’ve changed Jacob’s circumstances for the better.
2 You’ve forgiven your people’s wrongdoing;
you’ve covered all their sins. Selah
3 You’ve stopped being furious;
you’ve turned away from your burning anger.
4 You, the God who can save us, restore us!
Stop being angry with us!
5 Will you be mad at us forever?
Will you prolong your anger from one generation to the next?
6 Won’t you bring us back to life again
so that your people can rejoice in you?
7 Show us your faithful love, Lord!
Give us your salvation!
8 Let me hear what the Lord God says,
because he speaks peace to his people and to his faithful ones.
Don’t let them return to foolish ways.
9 God’s salvation is very close to those who honor him
so that his glory can live in our land.
10 Faithful love and truth have met;
righteousness and peace have kissed.
11 Truth springs up from the ground;
righteousness gazes down from heaven.
12 Yes, the Lord gives what is good,
and our land yields its produce.
13 Righteousness walks before God,
making a road for his steps.
Reflection
Psalm 85 is a beautiful prayer of restoration, hope, and peace. It can speak to all who have experienced hardship and are longing for renewal. For followers of Jesus, who value love, compassion, and the belief that all people are equal before God, this psalm can be deeply meaningful in our lives today. Here’s how we might apply it:
Psalm 85:1–3 remembers how God restored favor and forgave sins in the past. As people of faith, we are called to be reconcilers (2 Corinthians 5:18). We can apply this by:
- Seeking peace in divided communities
- Working for racial and social justice, remembering that all are equal in God’s eyes
- Forgiving others, just as God has forgiven us
Verses 4–7 are a bold prayer asking God to “restore us” and “revive us again.” This is something we can relate to today:
- In times of spiritual dryness or national brokenness, we can come before God asking for renewal
Verse 10 is one of the most powerful lines:
“Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet; righteousness and peace will kiss each other.”
This poetic image reminds us to:
- Practice love and truth together, not just one without the other
- Pursue righteousness (justice, integrity) alongside peace
Psalm 85 paints a vision of God’s kingdom where truth springs from the earth and righteousness looks down from heaven. In Jesus, that kingdom has begun. We live it out by:
- Serving the poor, caring for the sick, welcoming strangers
- Speaking truth in love, not division
- Working for a world where justice and peace are one
The psalm ends with expectation:
“The Lord will indeed give what is good…” (v.12)
Even when the world feels chaotic or unjust, we hold on to this hope and act on it. We become:
- People of hope, not despair
- People of action, not apathy
- People of faith, trusting that God’s peace is not only coming but already working through us
by Clarence Beverage
For Pondering and Prayer
Do you feel renewed today, with a vision, in a way that you believe is Jesus’ calling you?
Prayer: God of mercy, we thank You for Your past faithfulness and forgiveness.
You have restored your creation before, we ask that you do it again. Revive our hearts, renew our spirits, let your love and truth be seen in us as we live our lives each day. Give us empathy, and your righteousness, to see where healing is needed and lives are broken. Give us the desire to love without condition and to walk always with You. We pray this in Jesus name, Amen.
