#DailyDevotion God Blesses Us To Be A Witness To The World
Psalm 67 May God be merciful to us and bless us! May His face shine on us, 2that the world might know Your way and the nations know how You save.
This Psalm starts off with the Aaronic benediction. We (Lutherans that is) often hear these words at the closing of our Divine Service. He blesses us with mercy and lets the light of His face shine upon us. This means that His good favor, i.e. grace may be with us today. God’s mercy, grace, His kind face directed towards us blesses us with all good things but most importantly a clear conscience and a bold confession of Jesus Christ and His salvific work for us. It also is shown in a more mundane way as we have the clothes, the food, drink, family and friendship in our daily lives. It brings about peace, which part of the benediction does not mention but here is a result of the LORD’s blessing.
The LORD’s blessing upon us is not only for our own sake. It is to be a witness to the world so they may know His way and how He saves. The Israelites were meant to be a light on a hill, a light to the nations of the glory of God. That did not always happen. Now God’s Israel, the Church, joined to the true Israel, Jesus Christ through baptism into Him and His name is to be the light on the hill, calling to the nations to turn from their ways and to put their faith in Jesus Christ. We are to be a witness to the world about how God has saved us and consequently, how God has saved them as well in Christ Jesus.
We are to be a witness to the world about the ways of the LORD our God. First and foremost concerning His grace, mercy, kindness, steadfast love and forgiveness we to witness to the world. But also we witness to the holiness of our God through our lives. We meditate on the commandments of our God and delight in them. We find in them a way of living which is best for our lives and the lives of those around us. We will have more peace, serenity, calmness, gratitude and wholeness of life when we live our lives according to these commandments out of gratitude and thankfulness for all God has done for us in Christ Jesus.
3May the people praise You, O God; may all the people praise You. 4Then the nations will be glad and shout happily because You judge the people with justice and guide the nations in the world.
No doubt, we are not talking about the unbelieving people of the nations here. Such can only be forced to give God honor and praise. Rather the nations, the people who have received our witness have joined our witness. Such will shout happily because He judges the people with justice and guides the nations of the world. Such will be the case on the Last Day as we see the justice with which He judges.
5The people should thank You, O God; all the people should thank You – 6the land has produced its crop, and God, our God, has blessed us. 6May God go on blessing us and all the most distant parts of the world worship Him.
Indeed we should thank the LORD, our God. Everyone should thank Him because He makes it shine and rain on the just and unjust in order for the earth to produce its bounty for all people. Because of His bounty everyone should give Him thanks and praise. God indeed has blessed us.
We begin with blessing and we close with blessing. May indeed the LORD continue to bless us.
Heavenly Father, bless us always with Your name so the world may know your mercy, kindness, love and forgiveness. By Your Spirit enables us to live lives to Your glory. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.