Read: Psalm 81-87.

In Psalm 85:2-4, we see an important moment when Israel starts returning to God. Earlier, the psalmist asked God to help Israel find their way back. It seems God answered these prayers because He started blessing Israel again. The psalms we’re looking at today are full of praise and thanks for God’s kindness and the good things He is doing.

These psalms carry a special message about turning back to God. Israel realized they needed to change their ways and come back to Him. It’s a reason to praise God because His forgiveness is a huge blessing. The Bible teaches us in Romans 3:25 that having our sins forgiven by Jesus is the greatest gift we can receive.

Another important thing the psalmist shares is that God is no longer angry or punishing His people. It’s important to remember that when the Bible talks about God’s “wrath,” it usually means His way of correcting us and bringing us back to Him. Even though God’s correction can sometimes feel hard, He always corrects us out of fairness and love, to help us get back on track (1 Corinthians 11:31-32).

Even though Israel was turning back to God, they weren’t completely there yet. They still needed God’s help. The psalmist asks God to continue guiding them, knowing that there was still sin they needed to deal with.

For us today, there’s an important lesson here. When God corrects us, He’s not doing it to hurt us. Instead, He corrects us because He loves us and wants what’s best for us. Hebrews 12:5-11 reminds us that God’s discipline is something good. It’s His way of helping us grow and come closer to Him.