April 6, 2017
PRAISE HIM AND MAKE HIM KNOWN
Psalm 67
Lacey Congdon
Central Truth
Praise God so His ways may be known among all nations.
Key Verse | Psalm 67:3–5
Let the peoples praise you, O God;
let all the peoples praise you!
Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,
for you judge the peoples with equity
and guide the nations upon earth.
Let the peoples praise you, O God;
let all the peoples praise you!
(Psalm 67:3-5)
Psalm 67
Make Your Face Shine upon Us
To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. A Psalm. A Song.
1
May God be gracious to us and bless us
and make his face to shine upon us, Selah
2
that your way may be known on earth,
your saving power among all nations.
3
Let the peoples praise you, O God;
let all the peoples praise you!
4
Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,
for you judge the peoples with equity
and guide the nations upon earth. Selah
5
Let the peoples praise you, O God;
let all the peoples praise you!
6
The earth has yielded its increase;
God, our God, shall bless us.
7
God shall bless us;
let all the ends of the earth fear him!
Dive Deeper | Psalm 67
Psalm 67 begins with a prayer for God to bless His people (verse 1-2). The psalmist asks God to “make his face to shine upon us” with hope that people in other nations would come to know God. The psalmist knew that if God blessed them, others would be drawn to Him, thus allowing His salvation to spread throughout all nations.
Following the prayer, the psalmist begins to call on the people of Israel to praise God with joy because He rules justly and guides all nations (verses 3-4).
The psalmist continues to call on the people of Israel to praise God so He would bless them with a bountiful harvest (verses 5-7). God’s blessings encourage others to worship and to fear Him.
Although the psalmist was directly speaking to the Israelites, his exhortation applies to all believers today. God has given each believer His grace, blessing, and divine favor. However, His blessings are not only for believers' enjoyment, but that they would praise God and make Him known among the nations. God is sovereign over all the nations today, and He desires to be known and praised by all peoples.
If you ever wonder about your purpose in life, look no further; we have found it right here. Your purpose is to know and enjoy God and to make Him known. There may be more details woven within God’s overall plan and purpose for your life, but as long as you delight in the Lord and share Him with others, then God will be glorified through your life.
Becoming a blessing to the nations could look like several things, but it always involves sharing the truth of God’s goodness. Choose always to praise God for His many blessings so others will be drawn to Him.
Discussion Questions
1. Do you pray that all nations of the world (including our enemies) would come to know and worship the one true God?
2. Do you ask God to bless you so that you may be a blessing to all nations?
3. How can you more actively and obediently share Christ with others?