God chooses to clothe himself in promises and hides himself in his word.
For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.
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.
-Psalm 85
Where is God? That's a rather simple question with a rather simple answer, right? The psalmist says, "Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him" (Ps. 115:3). But when Satan assails, when tragedy strikes, when God feels distant because he seems to hide from our searching hearts, such a simple answer doesn't hold up. That's because the question is not just "Where is God?" but it has grown to "Where can I find God; where can I find his love, his strength, his help in my time of need?" Now the question is much more urgent, and the answer cannot be less than satisfying because sanity, self, even salvation is at stake. So where is God; where can I find him?
It's impossible for sinners to draw near to a holy God. To seek God in heaven, in his might and majesty, enthroned among the cherubim, would be our doom. If we found him this way, we wouldn't like the answer. God must come to us and meet us where we are. But for God to reveal himself to us, God must hide himself. He must veil his might and majesty and cover his glory and power. So Jesus hides himself in human flesh and goes to the cross in weakness. So God chooses to clothe himself in promises and hides himself in his word.
Psalm 85 is a beautiful example of this very truth. This psalm is neatly divided in half, and each half also has two parts. Some have tried to pinpoint the exact circumstances of the writing of this psalm, but there's not enough information to say anything with certainty. In this case, it's better not to know for sure. The psalm is a prayer for help and restoration in a time of need. Oftentimes, this describes Israel's circumstances, just as it describes many circumstances in our lives, too.
The psalm begins with a reminder of the restoration the Lord has already granted to his people. The first section reminds God's people of how he has so often forgiven them in the past. The second section is a prayer for the need God's people are experiencing right now in the present. It is an urgent plea for the Lord to show his unfailing love to his people again. The third section speaks of the mercies the Lord will grant in the future. It encourages God's people to keep listening to his promises and keep watching for them to unfold. The final section assures God's people that the Lord will hear their prayers and act for them with blessing upon blessing as he has always done. It is an assurance that their confidence in the Lord is never misplaced.
In each section of this psalm, you should not fail to notice the name that is used for God. In the past, the present, and into the future, the LORD is at work for his people. This name is the unique name God chose for himself as he revealed himself to Moses. When you see this name in the Old Testament, your God is reminding you of one of his most important qualities: he is the God who always keeps his promises. Those promises are usually connected to his unfailing love for his people, and he will always keep them, no matter what.
So what does that mean for you? In the past, the Lord has kept his promises to you. The greatest example of that truth, and the assurance he will continue to do so, is that he kept the promise of salvation in Jesus and his work. It also means when you call out to the Lord in prayer, he will hear, and he will deal with you in love because he has promised to do so. The Lord will continue to bless and send mercy your way in the future because he has promised to do so. Finally, it's a reminder that you will always have an answer to the question, "Where is God; where can I find him?" You will find him always in his word, clothed in promises. You will find him there because he is the Lord, and that is where he has promised to be.
