Saturday, June 20, 2026

Opening Scripture

The Israelites captured fortified cities and fertile land; they took possession of houses filled with all kinds of good things, wells already dug, vineyards, olive groves and fruit trees in abundance. They ate to the full and were well-nourished; they reveled in your great goodness.

But they were disobedient and rebelled against you; they turned their backs on your law. They killed your prophets, who had warned them in order to turn them back to you; they committed awful blasphemies.

So you delivered them into the hands of their enemies, who oppressed them. But when they were oppressed they cried out to you. From heaven you heard them, and in your great compassion you gave them deliverers, who rescued them from the hand of their enemies.

But as soon as they were at rest, they again did what was evil in your sight. Then you abandoned them to the hand of their enemies so that they ruled over them. And when they cried out to you again, you heard from heaven, and in your compassion you delivered them time after time.

You warned them in order to turn them back to your law, but they became arrogant and disobeyed your commands. They sinned against your ordinances, of which you said, “The person who obeys them will live by them.” Stubbornly they turned their backs on you, became stiff-necked and refused to listen.

For many years you were patient with them. By your Spirit you warned them through your prophets. Yet they paid no attention, so you gave them into the hands of the neighboring peoples. But in your great mercy you did not put an end to them or abandon them, for you are a gracious and merciful God. Nehemiah 9:25-31

Opening Prayer

Come, Thou fount of every blessing; tune my heart to sing Thy grace. Streams of mercy, never ceasing, call for songs of loudest praise. Teach me some melodious sonnet, sung by flaming tongues above. Praise the mount! I’m fixed upon it, mount of Thy redeeming love. Oh, to grace how great a debtor daily I’m constrained to be. Let Thy goodness like a fetter bind my wandering heart to Thee. Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love. Here’s my heart, oh, take and seal it, seal it for Thy courts above. Amen!

Daily Bible Reading

Psalm 85

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. Will you be angry with us forever? Will you prolong your anger through all generations? Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you?

Show us your unfailing love, Lord, and grant us your salvation. I will listen to what God the Lord says; he promises peace to his people, his faithful servants – but let them not turn to folly. Surely his salvation is near those who fear him, that his glory may dwell in our land. Love and faithfulness meet together; righteousness and peace kiss each other. Faithfulness springs forth from the earth, and righteousness looks down from heaven. The Lord will indeed give what is good, and our land will yield its harvest. Righteousness goes before him and prepares the way for his steps.

Reflection  

Like yesterday’s psalm, today’s passage is another “For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah.” The setting for this hymn could easily be the events surrounding Ezra and Nehemiah’s ministry among the exiles returning from Babylon.

Alexander Maclaren says, “The book of Nehemiah supplies precisely such a background as fits the psalm. A part of the nation had returned indeed, but to a ruined city, a fallen Temple, and a mourning land, where they were surrounded by jealous and powerful enemies.”

Even if this psalm belongs to an earlier period, God’s people frequently found themselves in a similar position. Having strayed from God – increasingly rejecting His commands and adopting the idolatry and customs of the pagan nations around them – the Israelites suffered the consequences of their actions. After a time of punishment, they repented and cried out to God. He forgave them and restored them, both to their homeland and their fellowship with Him.

Today’s psalm picks things up in the repentance, forgiveness, and restoration stage, where God “showed favor to your land; you restored the fortunes of Jacob. You forgave the iniquity of your people and covered all their sins.”

The psalmist paints a beautiful picture of what being rightly related to God looks like. “Surely his salvation is near those who fear him, that his glory may dwell in our land. Love and faithfulness meet together; righteousness and peace kiss each other.” These four Hebrew words are knit together in perfect harmony:

• Hesed: mercy, loyalty, steadfast love
• Emeth: truth, faithfulness, stability
• Sedeq: righteousness, justice, prosperity
• Shalom: peace, safety, well-being

Flourishing Habit

Flourishing Christians

The history of God’s “Old Covenant” people, the Jews, is well documented in Scripture. There was a repeating pattern in their relationship with Yahweh that was carried on from generation to generation. Often called “The Sin Cycle,” it involved a recurring progression of blessing, rebellion, punishment, repentance, and restoration. This sequence is outlined in our Opening Scripture but perhaps is best illustrated in the Book of Judges.

Of course, you and I – God’s “New Covenant” people – are just as susceptible to The Sin Cycle as the Israelites were. Both individually and collectively (as a nation), we can observe the progression.

God blesses us and provides for us. We take it for granted and become victims of our prosperity. We begin to ignore God, drift toward sin, and settle in. We suffer the consequences of our actions and/or God lovingly corrects us. We confess our sin and repent of it. God forgives us and we are restored to a right relationship with Him. We experience the blessing of divine hesed, emeth, sedeq, and shalom.

Just like the Israelites, God has given us clear instructions about the right way to live. Like them, we flourish by living life as God intends. He created us. He knows us better than we know ourselves. He loves us and wants us to thrive.

And yet, our old proud, greedy, lustful nature looks to exert its influence. As James says, “Each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death” (James 1:14-15).

“If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:8-9).

Thank God for His many blessings. Devote yourself to Him anew. Confess your sin and ask His forgiveness. Embrace the joy of your salvation. Take pleasure in His presence and walk in His Spirit. Let’s flourish together as we follow The Jesus Way!

Remember: Nothing changes until something changes!