Revive Us Again

Scripture Reading: Psalm 85:6

Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you?

The pattern we see unfold in the Book of Judges is our very human tendency. God saves and blesses. Peace and prosperity come to His people, and then the spirit of repentance, the longing for God, the pursuit of holiness that led toward the experience of grace gradually dissipates and finally disappears. God responds in discipline and the withdrawing of His smile from His people. Soon, they find themselves in dire straights once again.

One of the byproducts of God’s discipline is our misery. Our misery is a blessing of sorts. It causes us to turn our faces back to God. That is what the Psalmist is doing here. He is pleading for God’s grace to be extended once more.

One of the sure signs of experienced grace is joy in the Lord. The Psalmist argues that if God would revive His people, His people would rejoice in Him. Salvation births joy, and joy expresses itself in rejoicing.