God be gracious and kind-hearted to us and bless us,
And make His face shine [with favor] on us— Selah.
That Your way may be known on earth,
Your salvation and deliverance among all nations.
Let the peoples praise You, O God;
Let all the peoples praise You.
Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,
For You will judge the people fairly
And guide the nations on earth. Selah.
Let the peoples praise You, O God;
Let all the peoples praise You.
The earth has yielded its harvest [as evidence of His approval];
God, our God, blesses us.
God blesses us,
And all the ends of the earth shall fear Him—Psalm 67 AMP
As I read through this psalm this morning, I saw it as a beautiful picture of what a world-wide revival might look like. I prayed along with the psalmist as I read his inspired words…
God be merciful to us and bless us, and cause His face to shine upon us.
Why?
So that Your way may be known on earth and Your salvation among all nations.
Let the peoples praise You, O God;
Let all the peoples praise You.
Oh, let the nations be glad and sing for joy!
Why?
For You shall judge the people righteously,
And govern the nations on earth.
Let the peoples praise You, O God;
Let all the peoples praise You.
Why?
Then the earth shall yield her increase;
God, our own God, shall bless us.
God shall bless us,
And then the last line…the icing on the cake so to speak
With awe-inspired reverence and submissive wonder all the ends of the earth shall fear Him. God WANTS to prosper us.
Beloved…How much do you want to see this happen?!! It is not God’s will that any should perish but that all should come to eternal life in His Son. Psalm 67 opens with the psalmist praying for God’s mercy and blessings so that His saving ways might be known. God desires our praise for his righteous judgments so that we can enjoy all that He has for us. Jeremiah 29:11-12 comes to mind here.
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.
Oh, Father!
Do this work here on earth. Bring revival to each and every one of our hearts. Renew a right spirit within each of us. May others see the salvation you have wrought in our hearts and desire it for themselves. For if God can save us, He can save them as well.
I waited patiently for the LORD;
And He inclined to me,
And heard my cry.
He also brought me up out of a horrible pit,
Out of the miry clay,
And set my feet upon a rock,
And established my steps.
He has put a new song in my mouth—
Praise to our God;
Many will see it and fear,
And will trust in the LORD.—Psalm 40:1-3
May we in turn, by the Holy Spirit you have given us, praise You as we acknowledge Your blessings. May we do as it says in Hebrews 13:15…continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. May the people you have sovereignly placed around us, hear it and come to you for salvation. May they also bow their hearts in beautiful worship…for all things are for your sakes, that grace, having spread through the many, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God.
Then I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within them, and take the stony heart out of their flesh, and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in My statutes and keep My judgments and do them; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God. But as for those whose hearts follow the desire for their detestable things and their abominations, I will recompense their deeds on their own heads," says the Lord GOD.—Ezekiel 11:19-21
Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies," says the Lord GOD. "Therefore turn and live!"—Ezekiel 18:31-32
Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away."
Then He who sat on the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new." And He said to me, "Write, for these words are true and faithful."—Revelation 21:1-5
