Begin with two minutes of stillness and silence before God.

Psalm 85 was likely written after Israel had come back from exile. It is a cry of people who have been through the absolute worst. They had been surrounded by war and were taken from their homes. They watched as everything around them fell apart. Now they were back home, but their hearts were still heavy. They were surrounded by ruins both in the land and in their spirits. They remembered how God had forgiven them before. They knew of His faithfulness in the past. But now, their hearts were calloused. Their land was still struggling. These people needed God, not just for their land, but to restore their hearts and minds. They knew what it meant to be rescued and were longing to be rescued again.

In Psalm 86, David gets a bit more personal. He doesn’t pretend to have it all together. He lays it all out before God: his fears, his failures, and his fierce trust in the Lord's goodness. This is the deepest plea of one man who is overwhelmed, attacked, and desperate for God’s help. His prayer is the prayer of a real person in the middle of a real struggle who knows that real help only comes from God. I don’t know about you, but I’ve prayed very similar things to what David is in this moment: 

 “Lord, hear me!”

 “Please bring joy back into my heart.”

 “Give me the strength that I don’t have right now.”

David begs God to move in his life again, and the people of Chapter 85 are doing the same.

 “Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you?” (Psalm 85:6)

It’s a bold question, and one that still resonates today. The kind of revival both David and the people of Israel were seeking was rooted in relationship. They weren’t just asking God to fix their problems. They were asking Him to renew their hearts.

About 8 years ago, a song by Elevation Worship titled “Do It Again” became pretty popular. You might remember it. I remember playing that song on repeat. At the time, I was stuck in a season of feeling a bit stagnant and, at times, a bit empty. Looking back, I see that the Lord had me in a season of waiting as He was preparing my heart for some big changes. But I couldn’t see that just yet. All I knew was that the Lord had been so good to me before and, like David, I trusted that He would always come through for me again.

I sang the words of this song as a prayer of gratitude and hope over my life:

“Your promise still stands

 Great is Your faithfulness, faithfulness

 I'm still in Your hands 

 This is my confidence

 You've never failed.”

Both of today’s chapters are cries for the Lord to show up in the lives of His people. But we also see that the people in today’s passages are already assured that this will happen. They spoke as if God had already shown up and met them. They do this because they know God and they know of His character. They know of a God who will show up and meet them where they are because they have seen Him do it and know that He will, without fail, do it again.

You may be in a spiritually dry season. You may feel worn out by work, relationships, parenting, or just the weight of being human. You may be trying to “hold it all together” while wondering where God is. I’d like to remind you of these things: It’s okay to not be okay, and it’s okay to boldly ask for revival in your soul and in your world. God hasn’t changed. His mercy, love, and faithfulness are still available to those who call on Him. He has shown up before, and as His children, we can be certain that He always will. 

Take two minutes to reflect in silence.

Reflection:

Use the S.O.A.P. Method to study God’s Word.

• SCRIPTURE: What stands out to you in today’s passage?
• OBSERVATION: What is this text saying? What is the context? How does it fit with the verses before and after it? Are there any commands, instructions, or promises?
• APPLICATION: How can you apply this verse to your life? What does this mean today? What is God saying to you?
• PRAYER: Respond to the passage in prayer. Ask God to help you apply this truth to your life and spend some time listening to what He may be telling you.

James Weekly Verse Challenge

Want to go beyond just reading God's Word? Want to take action? As we study the Book of James in the "Faith That Works" message series, we encourage you to do more than read the theme verse. Each week, we challenge you to memorize the verse and put it into action. Beginning Monday, October 6, we will text the weekly verse on a downloadable wallpaper on Monday mornings. Download the mobile wallpaper to your phone and memorize the weekly verse as you strive to live it daily. 

Text "JAMES" to 601-299-4493 to receive each week's theme verse.