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“May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine upon us…” (Psalm 67:1, NIV).
When I was in college, I attended the campus church. At the end of every service, our pastor would read these words from Psalm 67:1: “May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine upon us…” Rain or shine, summer or winter, joy or sorrow, he declared God’s blessings over each of us. Though I loved the passage, I often wondered why. Why not recite something new every time?
Thematically, Psalm 67 connects God’s blessing with His mission: to see God’s salvation among the nations. And as great as God’s blessings are, His gifts were never meant to stop with us; they were meant to point the world back to Him. This is why the psalmist asks for grace and favor not just for comfort for himself, but so that God’s ways would be known throughout the earth.
As we read the progression of verses, the psalmist reminds readers of 4 key truths:
- Blessing isn’t selfish.
- Worship is global.
- God cares about every nation and every person.
- Joy is found when we align ourselves with God’s heart for others.
When we say that God’s blessings aren’t selfish, we mean that His blessings should reflect His grace in our lives.
“May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine on us—so that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations” (Psalm 67:1-2, NIV).
Psalm 67 echoes the priestly blessing found in Numbers 6:24-26:
“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace” (NIV).
Together, both Scriptures mention God’s face shining—An illustration of His presence, favor, and peace. By verse 2, we see the reason:
“so that your way may be known on earth.”
The blessing always has been and always will be missional.
If we’re honest, sometimes we ask God for a blessing without asking what it’s for. But God’s kindness toward us should overflow into how we love and serve others. We were always created to reflect God’s character to the world. The question is, do we? Does His work in our lives serve as an encouragement to others? Do we show others the grace we’ve received?
As well as revealing grace and redemption to a broken world, Psalm 67 repeats the phrase, “Let the peoples praise you, God; let all the peoples praise you” (vs.5a). God’s heart isn’t just for you and me, but for every nation, culture, and person. Our vision may be limited by our nation, state, or culture, but not God. His Kingdom isn’t limited by geography, background, or status. In fact, Heaven’s picture is one of diverse worship gathered around one Savior. The Gospel invites everyone into joy.