Read
(A psalm and a song for the music leader. Use with stringed instruments.)
Tell the Nations
1Our God, be kind and bless us!
Be pleased and smile.
2Then everyone on earth
will learn to follow you,
and all nations will see
your power to save us.
3Make everyone praise you
and shout your praises.
4Let the nations celebrate
with joyful songs,
because you judge fairly
and guide all nations.
5Make everyone praise you, God,
and shout your praises.
6Our God has blessed the earth
with a wonderful harvest!
7Pray for his blessings
to continue
and for everyone on earth
to worship our God.
Reflect
The apple orchards along the roads I run are laden heavy with a harvest of new fruit right now. It will soon be time to gather them in and enjoy this year’s crop. Psalm 67 was written to be sung at a time like this during worship at the harvest feasts. It’s an all encapsulating chorus praising God for blessing the whole community. This isn’t about an individual, this is about everyone.
Imagine the power and reverence of the Levitical choir singing these words out and the people responding with a thunderous “Amen”, as it talks about Israel’s desire for God’s favour (v.1) and His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven (v.2). Then all nations will know God as they do (v.3) and find His justice to be fair and acknowledge it as such (vv.4-5). The bounty of the land caused praise to rise up from within God’s people along with the desire for everyone on earth to join with them in worship of the one true God (vv.6-7). This psalm has it all as an expression of corporate devotion and praise.
So where does it leave us? For me, when I run past those weighed down apple trees, I worship. When I work, I worship. When I create, I worship. All that we do that is good and true and helpful and creative is worship. Our lives ought to be our worship and our worship should be about God’s kingdom breaking through in our lives to infect everyone around us.
Will you extend your worship of God among those you are with today?
Respond
Oh great God of heaven, be kind to us and bless us. Make your face shine on us and be gracious to us. Look upon us with favour and give us peace that others may see you in us and worship you as well. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.
James Paterson
James works as a visual artist. His current body of work is a series of metal wire sculptures called Prayer Machines which are whimsically ambiguous machine-like objects that give expression to mystery. “I love to share the gospel message, using art as a bridge, to encourage people in their relationship with Jesus.” He and Lynn have four young adult children. Publications Jim’s Grandiose Big Bible Picture Book (Bastian Books ,2007)