Choose Your Adventure

Even after we have made bad choices, God can make a way back.

For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by the sons of Korah.

Psalm 85

1 Yahweh, you have been favorable to your land.
You have restored the fortunes of Jacob.
2 You have forgiven the iniquity of your people.
You have covered all their sin. Selah.
3 You have taken away all your wrath.
You have turned from the fierceness of your anger.
4 Turn us, God of our salvation,
and cause your indignation toward us to cease.
5 Will you be angry with us forever?
Will you draw out your anger to all generations?
6 Won’t you revive us again,
that your people may rejoice in you?
7 Show us your loving kindness, Yahweh.
Grant us your salvation.
8 I will hear what God, Yahweh, will speak,
for he will speak peace to his people, his saints;
but let them not turn again to folly.
9 Surely his salvation is near those who fear him,
that glory may dwell in our land.
10 Mercy and truth meet together.
Righteousness and peace have kissed each other.

11 Truth springs out of the earth.
Righteousness has looked down from heaven.
12 Yes, Yahweh will give that which is good.
Our land will yield its increase.
13 Righteousness goes before him,
and prepares the way for his steps.

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This psalm is dense with little axioms and truths that come from other teachings of the scriptures. It begins with praising God for bringing His people back to Him, and restoring them. His wrath has ceased, and the people have learned to fear Him and observe His commands again. And this has brought blessing.

In the 28th chapter of Deuteronomy we learn about the consequences for obedience and disobedience. If you keep God’s commands, you will be blessed when you are coming in and going out. You will have good harvest. But if you forget His command to begin to worship other gods, everything will go to hell. Drought will come, your crops will fail, plagues will come upon you, and you will be plundered by your neighbors. God’s protections will be removed when you remove yourself from a place of obedience.

After His people have been punished, God extends Mercy to them. His creation will begin to bear fruit again. That is why the psalmist says that truth springs out of the ground. God has created the world as a resource for us. It is when we begin to live by lies that we do not experience the goodness of His truth. The unrighteousness of man brings curses, but the righteousness of God restores peace. We must turn back to God to experience the goodness of His truth and His peace.

Here in America, the lies are beginning to catch up with us. Back when there was a critical mass of people who still feared God and obeyed His commands, a lot of good things were created. We built roads and cities and communications networks. We created great institutions of learning that used to give glory to God. But as we have forgotten Him and attempted to have peace without Him, things have begun to crumble. We have come to believe that our technology, our education, and our system of government, will cover our multitude of sins. Americans expect to get away with their fornication and their adultery. They expect their abortions and their child mutilations to be overlooked. They believe their greed and their laziness can work together to keep them full of bread and entertained by their circuses. Our food isn’t real anymore and we need drugs to sustain our bodies.

Live in the truth, and the truth will spring up from the earth and sustain you. Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and everything you need will be added to you (Matthew 6:33). The Kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but joy peace and righteousness in the Holy Ghost (Romans 13:17). The world around you is collapsing, but God will keep you in peace if you will keep your mind on Him (Isaiah 26:3). Do not be drawn away into the fear and insanity of a people who do not trust God and do not fear the consequences of their sin.

Like the song says, “Then I'll get on my knees and pray, We don't get fooled again.”