Psalm 85:8-9 - September4, 2009

Ps 85:8-9 "I will listen to what God the LORD will say; he promises peace to his people, his saints — but let them not return to folly. 9 Surely his salvation is near those who fear him, that his glory may dwell in our land" NIV

God is speaking! Are you committed to listening? This is the central question that lies beneath the surface of this passage in Psalm 85. The psalmist has set his heart to listen to what the Lord is saying. One of the unique facets of this statement is that there is no qualification associated with this commitment. The psalmist is willing to let God speak to him about anything; are you?
As the focus of the psalmist’s attention is fixed upon the value of listening to the Lord he draws us to consider the impact of living with a listening ear: “He promises peace to His People.” This reason is reason enough to listen. So many people spend their lives without ever attaining a place of true inner peace and yet the simple and direct promise of the Lord is that for those who will listen to God’s voice the fruit of this habit will be a heart of peace. Imagine living a directed life, a protected life, where the voice of God warns of danger and guides us into blessing. This is indeed the hope of peace. When we know with assurance that the Lord whom we serve is there to “lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil”, it is certain that the impact of this upon the heart is a deep inner peace.
With this hope also comes a warning, “let them, (God’s people) not return to their folly.” It is often the nature of people to return to old ways once the danger or threat of danger has passed. The psalmist’s cry on behalf of the Lord is for his people to diligently stay in this place of focused awareness of God and not to drift into self-centered, self-directed living. This warning to maintain a disciplined life of attentiveness to God is a call to live in the fear of the Lord. To live listening is to live in a submissive fear of the Lord. The decision to hear His voice is the decision to value His heart! This heart is rewarded by the Lord’s salvation, the Lord’s blessing. Through this progression the Lord receives glory in the earth. God wins the heart of man through wisdom and blessing. Man chooses to voluntarily embrace God’s ways and guidance. God rewards this decision with intimacy and blessing and as this man is blessed God’s name is exalted as the source of and reason for a blessed life!