09/08/07

Will You Share Your Blessings?

Read Psalm 67:1-7

The author of this psalm is unknown, but it was someone who had a vision of the whole world. God had blessed him, and he wanted to share that blessing with everyone. He writes, "God be merciful to us and bless us, and cause His face to shine upon us" (v. 1). That sounds like a priestly benediction, doesn't it? "The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious unto you" (Num. 6:24,25).

Three times in verse 1 the psalmist uses the word us. He refers to Israel (God's people), but he doesn't stop there. "That Your way may be known on earth, Your salvation among all nations" (v. 2). So many Old Testament Jews wanted to keep what they had for themselves. They did not want to share it. How unlike God's plan! After all, why did He call Abraham? That he might be a blessing to the whole world. Why did Jesus die? That the Gospel message might go out to the whole world.

Why has the Lord blessed us? That we might share the Gospel with others. We have no problem praying verse 1: "Oh, be merciful to us and bless us and make Your face shine upon us." But what about verse 2? Do we want to be blessed so that we might be a blessing? That's the reason God blesses us in the first place. Likewise, He answers our prayers so that we might become an answer to someone else's prayer.

The result of making God's salvation known among all the nations is praise."Let the peoples praise You, O God; let all the peoples praise You" (v. 3). This doesn't mean just the Israelites. Even the Gentiles are included. "Oh, let the nations be glad and sing for joy!" (v. 4). "Let all the peoples praise You" (v. 5).

Notice how the psalm ends: "Then the earth shall yield her increase; God, our own God, shall bless us. God shall bless us, and all the ends of the earth shall fear Him" (v. 6,7). The sequence in this psalm is significant. The psalmist begins by saying, "Lord, bless me so that I may bless others." He does become a blessing to others, so God blesses him again. What a marvelous experience of God's grace.

[ Reference Scripture ]

Psalm 67:1-7 [NIV]
¹ May God be gracious to us and bless us
and make his face shine upon us,
Selah
² that your ways may be known on earth,
your salvation among all nations.
³ May the peoples praise you, O God;
may all the peoples praise you.
⁴ May the nations be glad and sing for joy,
for you rule the peoples justly
and guide the nations of the earth.
Selah
⁵ May the peoples praise you, O God;
may all the peoples praise you.
⁶ Then the land will yield its harvest,
and God, our God, will bless us.
⁷ God will bless us,
and all the ends of the earth will fear him.

The Word of God was given free to us, therefore we should also share it freely with others. (All rights are with God)