Psalm 85:1-13
For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.
1 You showed favor to your land, O LORD;
you restored the fortunes of Jacob.
2 You forgave the iniquity of your people
and covered all their sins.
Selah
3 You set aside all your wrath
and turned from your fierce anger.
4 Restore us again, O God our Savior,
and put away your displeasure toward us.
5 Will you be angry with us forever?
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 return 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.
The first four verses appear to be written after the exiled people of Israel return home from Babylon to Judah...God forgives and forgave the people of Israel and they are allowed to return home...
It appears the people of Israel again have a need to pray to God for His mercy...Sometimes we drift from God...Things go bad, we sin...What we have done today, how we are today and how we feel does not diminish the things God has done in the past...The LORD allowed the people of Israel to return to Israel and rebuild Jerusalem..God is merciful...Yet we sin again...
St. Paul in Romans chapter seven says what a wretched man I am...Not only do we sin, we continue to sin...God forgives us again and again because of His mercy...Man's greatest folly is when we return to sin...These sins keep us apart from our LORD...
God knows we drift away and backslide from Him, sometimes as often as daily...The evil one is always around...But we are reconciled with God, when He sent us Jesus...
The Psalmist tells us, when love and faith meet together and righteousness from heaven meets with peace, and kiss good things happen...There is a connection between peace and doing what is right...
Faith comes from us, but righteousness comes from heaven...
We have to believe in Jesus and realize the Righteousness comes down from heaven and not earth...Only God is good...But, if we believe in Him and the One He sent, the LORD will indeed give us what is good...