By Robin Sam
‘…the Lord shall give that which is good. And our land will yield its increase.’ (Psalm 85:12).
THE Bible is a record book that talks about a God who engineers the comebacks of His children. The Bible, as a whole, talks about God retrieving His people from sin to redemption (the story of the first five books). In Genesis 15, God revealed to Abraham that his descendants would go through slavery in an alien land but come back to their own with great riches. The Book of Ruth is the story of Naomi’s return to her homeland (from shame to grace and glory). Apostle Peter looked like a gone case when he decided to go back fishing after the resurrection of Jesus Christ, but the Lord appeared to him on the shores of Tiberias to make him turn around to Himself and a glorious ministry.
Psalm 85 is a psalm of a comeback. The psalm was written when the Hebrews came back to Israel from Babylonian captivity. Psalm 137 is yet another psalm of comeback written after the captivity.
The 85th psalm begins with a couple of petitions: 1. Turn us to Yourself and cause Your anger to cease (verse 4). 2. Show us your mercy and grant us your salvation (verse 7).
The beginning of a relationship with God begins at the realization of our sins. The people of Israel knew that God was sore with them. Their disobedience to the Word had taken them to Babylon. Now, they were back in their homeland, alright, but there was no peace or joy.
Is that your situation too, my brethren? You were saved a long time ago. You were baptized a long time ago. In the early days, there was this joy in your heart about your salvation. What is the scene right now, however? Is God angry with you or pleased with you?
Even Jesus needed to hear the Father’s validation at the start of His public ministry. ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I AM well pleased’ (Matthew 3:17).
If you have been going around carrying your burdens and blaming everyone but you for the misfortunes of your life, stop and take notice. The reason why you are in that place where you are now may be because there has been a change in the relationship between you and your Creator. Sample a few case sheets from the Bible:
* When Elimelech and his family decided God won’t feed them in Bethlehem (House of Bread) during famine, some things changed forever in his life.
* When King Saul started trusting himself more than God’s calling and anointing, he was set out for some terrible mistakes in his life.
* When Rehoboam valued the counsel of his friends more than that of the elders and God’s, his kingdom was irrevocably torn into two.
When Israel forsook the Lord, God bared His heart thus: ‘I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against Me; The ox knows its owner and the donkey its master’s crib; But Israel does not know, My people do not consider” (Isaiah 1:2-3).
The one who strays away from God and the Scriptures will shortly find himself in a mess. Verses 5 and 6 in Isaiah 1 describe the mess that Israel was in a remarkable way: ‘The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faints. From the sole of the foot even to the head, there is no soundness in it, but wounds and bruises and putrefying sores; They have not been closed or bound up, or soothed with ointment.’
If God is not pleased with us, what should we do?
Read verse 7 of Isaiah 85. ‘Show us Your mercy and grant us Your salvation.’ That’s a good prayer.
God has stretched His hand of mercy and salvation to us: ‘“Come now, and let us reason together,” says the Lord, “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool’ (Isaiah 1:18).
Psalm 85:12 talks about the land yielding its increase. Isaiah 1:19 makes a similar promise, too: ‘If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land.’
Although not all of God’s grace, mercy, riches and goodness is visible and tangible always, when the Lord gives us that which is good, He will make sure we see His goodness in quantifiable terms as well. ‘And our land will yield its increase.’ You can count on that promise. Hallelujah!
Robin Sam is a preacher, Bible teacher and missions worker. He works in Messenger Missions, a Gospel proclaiming ministry and edits The Christian Messenger magazine.
