Psalm 85 speaks of God's forgiveness. Only through God's forgiveness can we restore our relationship with Him because sin ruins it. In addition, the consequences of our sins bring God's discipline to our lives. Psalm 85:1-4 says, "You, LORD, showed favor to your land; you restored the fortunes of Jacob. You forgave the iniquity of your people and covered all their sins. You set aside all your wrath and turned from your fierce anger. Restore us again, God our Savior, and put away your displeasure toward us." This forgiveness is a comforting reassurance that God is always ready to restore our relationship with Him. Jacob, who is the father of the twelve tribes of Israel that composed the nation of Israel, was blessed by God when he was walking in God's way. Similarly, God blessed the nation of Israel when they were walking with God. However, when they followed the ways of sin and neglected God, God allowed their enemies to destroy their land.
The only way for the nation of Israel to restore peace in their land was to return to God and offer the sacrifice of repentance by offering animal sacrifices on the altar in the Tabernacle or the Temple. God then covered their sins with the blood of the animals and forgave them. The only way we can have peace in our hearts is when our relationship with God is restored, and our relationship with God is restored when we are forgiven. As believers of our Lord Jesus, we immediately receive God's forgiveness when we confess our specific sins to Him and ask for forgiveness. When God sees our hearts that we are sincere and willing to change, He forgives us and restores our relationship with Him. One of the biggest reasons why people are restless is because they are living in sin and not willing to have the right relationship with God. They keep on looking for answers, but they can't find answers apart from God's forgiveness.
God always offers us His forgiveness to restore our relationship with Him. We will never have peace in our hearts until God forgives our sins. All we need to do is confess our sins to God, ask for forgiveness, and be willing to change. God's forgiveness brings freedom and peace to our hearts.
Questions for application: (Think through these questions carefully, meditate on them while answering them, and let the Spirit of God speak to you.) Is there any sin that I need to confess to God and ask for forgiveness? Is there any sin in my life that I am not willing to turn away from? What happens when I stay in sin?
Take a moment to write down all your worries today. Then, lift them up to God in prayer, surrendering them to His will and trusting in His guidance.
Prayer:
Dear Father in Heaven, I confess my (mention your specific sins). Please forgive me of my sins and restore my relationship with you so that I may receive your peace in my heart again. Please do not let any sin harden my heart. Please help me to say no to sin that easily entangles me so that I may walk in your ways. Thank you for forgiving me and restoring my relationship with you. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.
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