Revive Us, O Lord—Again

The writer of this psalm knew God’s people needed reviving before they could once again joy in His presence: “Wilt thou not revive us again that Thy people may rejoice in Thee?” (Psalm 85:6). He was confident of God’s love and forgiveness and trusted what He required was for their best, saying he would carefully listen and do whatever God instructed. But he also knew the danger of His people returning to their former wicked and foolish ways (v. 8).

We can be as confident as the psalmist that God wants what’s best for us. When we confess our sins, ask God for forgiveness, and go back to where we left Him, He is faithful to forgive. But after God restores our lives, do we live rightly before Him? We would be wise to heed Jesus’ warning to the paralyzed man He healed from his bed-ridden state: “Sin no more.” Jesus knew the man’s sins that led to his infirmity. If he repeated his former wicked and foolish ways, he would suffer worse consequences (John 5:14)—a dire warning for us individually, God’s Church, and as a nation.