We ask God to make the Scripture fresh, encouraging, and convicting to us as we sit under its ministry.
From Psalm 85
Heavenly Father, as we listen to what you, the LORD our God, say, speak to us according to your love and faithfulness; your righteousness and peace. Renew your ancient promises to us in the ministry of your Word. By the power of your Spirit, speak grace and truth into our hearts and lives, so that we become a people who are known as your faithful servants. Teach and convict us, so that we do not return to our foolish ways, but grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. In his name, amen.
Psalm 85
For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.
1 You, Lord, showed favor to your land;
you restored the fortunes of Jacob.
2 You forgave the iniquity of your people
and covered all their sins.
3 You set aside all your wrath
and turned from your fierce anger.
4 Restore us again, 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, Lord,
and grant us your salvation.
8 I will listen to what God the Lord says;
he promises peace to his people, his faithful servants—
but let them not turn 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 step.
We reflect on the Psalm of the Day and use it to examine our hearts and minds, leading us to confession of our sin. Please turn in your Bibles to Psalm 85 as we reflect on it together.
Please open your Bibles to Psalm 85.
Our Psalm of the Day talks about two things: the character of God, and the character of his people.
The authors know that God’s people have not been like God. Verse 2: They’ve committed sins and iniquities. And God has been grieved by their failure to be like him. He had been justly angry, as we see in verses 3, 4, and 5.
How did they fail to be like God? Verse 10: God is the one in whom love and faithfulness meet; the one in whom righteousness and peace kiss.
They weren’t like God. Neither are we. God is full of truth and grace; honesty and love. We usually only do one of these things: we show love without honesty, or we use the truth as a weapon and fail to show grace.
We’ve got to repent of showing grace without truth, and telling the truth without grace.
Let us confess our sins together.
Take a moment to reflect and to confess your sins silently before the Lord.
We need your forgiveness, Lord, for our failure to reflect your character as a community. Our dishonest love is not real love. Our pursuit of peace without a concern for what’s right yields a false peace. Our unloving commitments are not true commitments. Our zeal for holiness without pursuing peace is a counterfeit zeal. Do not be angry with us, but turn toward us in love and faithfulness, through Jesus your Son–perfectly full of both grace and truth. Make us into people who treasure one another, as we all grow in the grace and knowledge of our Savior, in whose name we pray. Amen.
Church of Jesus Christ: Our God is committed to keeping the promises he has made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And that means that God is committed to you, who belong to God’s covenant family by the grace of Christ Jesus. As we repent, he restores us again. As we come in honesty, he revives us again. In the perfect life and sacrificial death of Jesus, the Son of God’s love and faithfulness, God has shown you favor. He has forgiven your iniquities. He’s covered all your sins. He has put away his displeasure. He has set aside his wrath and turned away from his fierce anger. He has shown his unfailing love. He has granted us salvation. Rejoice in your forgiveness, listen to his voice, and prepare the way for his steps with righteous and peaceful lives, to his honor and glory. Amen!
Ruth Pfister, organ
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost,
As it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be:
World without end! Amen! Amen!