Read Psalm 67
For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A psalm. A song.
1 May God be gracious to us and bless us
and make his face shine on us—
2 so that your ways may be known on earth,
your salvation among all nations.
3 May the peoples praise you, God;
may all the peoples praise you.
4 May the nations be glad and sing for joy,
for you rule the peoples with equity
and guide the nations of the earth.
5 May the peoples praise you, God;
may all the peoples praise you.
6 The land yields its harvest;
God, our God, blesses us.
7 May God bless us still,
so that all the ends of the earth will fear him.
Go Deeper
In February 2021, Texans were hit by unprecedented weather conditions including ice, snow, and record-setting low temperatures. Many went without power and water for days. After five long, dark, and dreary days with freezing cold temperatures, the sun came out. It was glorious. What a blessing to have the sun shining after an incredibly hard few days! This is just a small glimpse of how we feel knowing God’s face is shining on us.
Psalm 67 begins with a blessing request: Lord, be gracious to us; shine Your face upon us. Written in a time before Jesus, the psalmist and God’s people were requesting that God graciously fulfill His promises. Praise God that we now know that God’s Son fulfilled the ultimate promise. Through faith in Jesus Christ, we can have life eternal⏤the greatest blessing of all (John 3:16, Romans 10:9-10).
For those who have received God’s blessing of salvation (Ephesians 2:8), let us share who God is with others. Let’s lock arms and all work toward the goal of every single person on earth knowing our Heavenly Father. There are people in our neighborhood, our city, our country, and throughout the world who have never heard of God’s blessings! We are called to bless others by sharing the greatest blessing bestowed upon us. It’s exciting just thinking about it! Yet, we can get carried away and forget that we have a role to play. We aren’t meant to hold tightly to God’s blessings but to share them with the world around us.
Blessings also call for praises! Be glad. Sing for JOY. It’s contagious. Others will notice. Even for what may feel like a very small blessing, we remain faithful by praising a gracious God who continues to shine His face upon us. The Doxology sums it up well.
Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host:
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Amen.
Questions
- What should our reaction to God’s salvation be?
- How are you making Christ known “among the nations”?
- List 10 blessings in your life and thank God for each one.
Watch This
Please listen to (and sing along) with this worship song entitled “The Blessing” written and sung by Kari Jobe and Cody Carnes, along with Elevation Worship. https://youtu.be/Zp6aygmvzM4
1 thought on “Psalm 67”
Thinking back to Psalm 22:3 “But you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel” reminds us that God inhabits—rests in, sits upon, dwells within His people’s worship and adoration. 3 phrases are used to declare who this is directed to: All nations, all the peoples, all the ends of the earth are to offer praise to Him. God’s heart and plan is for ALL! It is astonishing that holy God would actually LOOK upon sinful man, but because we are in Christ He turns and shines his favor upon us and brings indescribable peace. That should put a song in our hearts and praise on our lips for one day we will join with all of heaven singing “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, forever and ever.” Revelation 5:13.