Meditation on Psalm 85

Since I mentioned Bonhoeffer yesterday, I thought I'd let you know the biggest thing I took away from reading about the life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. He emphasized the importance of reading and literally praying the Psalms EVERYDAY.  It really struck me as I read the book and it is something I have been doing since I read the book.

I've been meditating on Psalm 85 for the last week and a half.  I wanted to share it with you.  I've read it in several different versions so I'm going to share the passage with two versions combined.

Psalm 85:8-13 (NCV & Amplified)

I will listen [with expectancy] to God the Lord.

He has ordered peace for those who worship him.

Don't let them go back to [self-confident] folly.

God will soon save those who respect him,

and his glory will be seen in our land.

 Love and truth belong to God's people;

goodness and peace will be theirs.

 On earth people will be loyal to God,

and God's goodness will shine down from heaven.

 The Lord will give his goodness,

and the land will give its crops.

Righteousness shall go before God 

and shall make His footsteps a way in which to walk.

I will share the things that have stood out to me in these verses; first of all, the listening with expectancy to hear the Lord.  The idea that the Lord speaks into our lives and wants to direct the paths of our individual lives is an idea that is debated in the Christian community and within myself at times.  Meditating on this Psalm has confirmed in my heart that He does speak and I need and want to take the time to listen.

God has ordered peace for those who worship Him.  This has been powerful.  I want to be on the receiving end of something that God has ORDERED, especially when the order is for peace.  This verse shows the safest place to be is in the place of worship.  I am often tempted to do what the next verse says not to do, return to self-confident folly to fix my problems.  These two verses are reminding me to go back to the place of worshipping the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords and to wait on His plans instead of doing it my own way.

Love and truth belong to God's people.  This concept has blown me away too.  My husband and I watch American Pickers a show where two guys travel around America going into people's barns and buying their treasures from them.  Sometimes, it is astounding to see the treasures people own and you would never believe it by the outside of their lives.  Often times, the people live in small run down houses and they look very poor but then you open up their garages and they have treasures worth thousands and thousands of dollars stuffed in their garages.  They will literally have garbage and treasure sitting side by side.  This verse showed me that I own two treasures in my life, love and truth belong to me.  Yet so often I walk around like I don't even possess them. I allow the garbage in my life to overwhelm and hide the fact that I own these two treasures.  The beauty of American Pickers is that it shows the value of an item is still there even if it is hidden beneath garbage.  It just needs to be pulled out and shown for what it is worth.  If people would look at your life would they know you posses these two great treasures or would they only see the junk?  It is time to go pull out what you own and display it for people to see.

Righteousness shall go before God and make HIS footsteps a path to walk in.  The final part on my series about grace talked about how we have been given the RIGHTEOUSNESS of Christ.  This verse states that concept in one incredible sentence.  Jesus says I AM THE WAY (John 14:6).  He goes before us showing us the way to walk in.  The question is, are we looking to follow?

My prayer is that you too will be blessed through meditating on Psalm 85.  It is a beautiful reminder that God wants to lead and guide you in your life and that Love, Truth, peace and goodness are all part of the package.

In Christ,