READ Psalm 67. 1 May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine on us— 2 so that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations. 3 May the peoples praise you, God; may all the peoples praise you. 4 May the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you rule the peoples with equity and guide the nations of the earth. 5 May the peoples praise you, God; may all the peoples praise you. 6 The land yields its harvest; God, our God, blesses us. 7 May God bless us still, so that all the ends of the earth will fear him.
BLESSED TO BLESS. Like Abraham, we are blessed (verse 1) only that we might be a blessing to all the peoples of the earth (verse 2; Genesis 12:2–3). If you truly enjoy something, you instinctively want to help others to praise it too. Praising it to others “completes the enjoyment.”52 So true enjoyment of God must lead naturally to mission—to helping others see the beauty you see. God never draws us in except to send us out—to serve and reach others. We want a multiethnic, international church of worshippers and a world of justice (verses 3–4). We must not take credit for our own blessings but point beyond ourselves to God.
Prayer: Lord, “the praise of the praiseworthy is above all rewards.”53 If you—in all your lofty beauty—have delighted in us and blessed us by grace, it should remove all fear and all lethargy so that we can speak to others of your glory and goodness. Make me a witness. Amen.