Psalm 67 - God will win in our lives!

Reading

NLT Psalm 67:1 For the choir director: A psalm, to be accompanied by stringed instruments. A song. May God be merciful and bless us. May his face shine with favor upon us. Interlude 2 May your ways be known throughout the earth, your saving power among people everywhere. 3 May the nations praise you, O God. Yes, may all the nations praise you. 4 How glad the nations will be, singing for joy, because you govern them with justice and direct the actions of the whole world. Interlude 5 May the nations praise you, O God. Yes, may all the nations praise you. 6 Then the earth will yield its harvests, and God, our God, will richly bless us. 7 Yes, God will bless us, and people all over the world will fear him.

Meditation:

Literal - This is a royal psalm. Scholars often refer to a number of the psalms as royal psalms. These psalms are not all of one literary type, such as prayers of petition and songs of thanksgiving, but they are linked thematically by their emphasis on how God works through the office of king.

Like Psalms 65, 118 and 124, this is a Psalm of national thanksgiving, possibly used at the Hebrew New Year. At this time, Israel were exhorted to be joyful (Deut. 16:15; Lev. 23:40) The opening verse recalls the Aaronic Blessing that we frequently use in Christian worship (Num. 6:24-26). The Psalm first attends not to human experience but to God and to God’s grace.

The Psalm asks for God to have mercy on his people and favor them with His embrace. It then prays for all the nations that they may learn the ways of God and be touched by His Holy Spirit so that they may be delivered from the worship of idols and darkness into the light of worship in spirit and truth. This desire for global revival is because the psalmist desires global praise and worship of the true God. God’s kingdom coming to the earth will bring about harmony, peace, and gladness. To be under the rule of God is to be blessed. Here is clear proof that the Old Testament desired and saw a day when every nation would be called to faith. Here we have a prayer for true and substantial revival for all the earth.

Christocentric - Christ echoed this prayer when He taught us to pray; Our Father who are in heaven, hallowed by thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. He also called upon us to put feet to this prayer when He said to us, “Go into the whole world and make disciple, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you.” Christ in His death has destroyed the work of the devil and in His resurrection has been given universal authority and power. Christ is the means by which God’s kingdom will come to earth. God will exult the people of the Lord and all nations will come to learn of His ways so that every culture and people will be transformed by His amazing Grace (Isaiah 2:1-5). Jesus Christ is the answer to this psalm.

Moral: We must desire to see God’s will done on earth as in heaven. We must bow the knee to Christ Jesus and have Him practically govern over us. We must learn His ways and not just have Him as our Savior but really have Him as our Lord. The kingdom of God must start in our heart, then our homes, and then it can reach out to govern the entire world. Personal piety is the beginning of global dominion for God’s kingdom. We must seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness in a sincere and real way in our own private worlds before we will see cultures consistently change to become Christ like.

Eternal: There is no doubt this prayer will be answered. When Jesus the Christ returns there will be much gladness, joy, and rejoicing among all nations, peoples, and tribes for His perfect rule will have come. The creation itself groans in deep desire to see the perfect peace the Prince of Peace will bring to all the earth. We should rejoice today in the knowledge that God’s will is going to be done on the earth and righteousness will dominate every nation. God’s kingdom will come and God’s will be done – Halleluiah!

Prayer: Matthew 6:9-13 'Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy name. 10 'Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. 11 'Give us this day our daily bread. 12 'And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 'And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.'

Contemplation: Why do you call me “Lord, Lord” and not do the things that I say? Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.

Action: I will pray for global revival. I will seek to promote and support missions more than I do. I will seek to make disciples in my daily life more that God may be praised.