Psalm 67 (ESV)

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!

Verse 1: “May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us,”

This is a request. A request is only made by one who you believe has the ability to grant it. Not only a request for a blessing – which could be construed as selfish – but also for God to shine his face upon us. The LORD God often appears as light in the scriptures as in 1 John 1:5, “This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.” After all, light is God’s creation. Extending this metaphor – comparing God’s face to the sun – which provides light, warmth, nutrients such as vitamin D needed for health and vitality, creates photosynthesis in plants which we and all living creatures depend on for our survival. The sun is a powerful, life-giving force.

Yet even the sun was created. There is One so powerful that he created this immensely useful and brilliantly vibrant force. So much in the way we experience the sun – how we feel so good, warm, positive, connected, healed – when the sun shines on our face. We ask God to shine his face upon us. We go to the origin of the life-giver to request our needs be fulfilled from the source. We know he has the power, so we humbly ask to be revived, renewed and released by his radiant love, demonstrated by the warmth of his face.

Verse 4: “Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth.”

This is stated as an observation, not a request – that God does judge with equity and does guide the nations on this planet. How I need to learn to embrace this truth; that God’s hand guides the nations. There is no law, no policy, no decision, no election in which God stands inactively aside and allows outcomes outside of his own will.

I imagine the image of a guiding hand – so strong, so gentle, so real, so comforting.

The “hand” that guides the events in our lives might manifest as a small nudge in a slightly variant direction. Or it could be a gentle push forward to increase velocity toward an outcome. Sometimes the hand may grab hold and prohibit a motion that would cause devastation. In every case, the hand is not the primary force causing movement. Yet the hand knows the best outcome and has the ability to project current progress and unsustainable outcomes if he stands aside. He knows precisely how, when and where to intervene, so his will and world events remain perfectly aligned.

Verse 7: ”God shall bless us; let all the ends of the earth fear him!”

Fear him; a much examined and oft misunderstood phrase and concept.

Think of fire or a flame. I respect fire. I love to have an open fire outside, the smell of burning oak and the crackle of cedar. Fire provides our winter heat. It also allows for stove top cooking and even the power in our internal combustion engines in our vehicles. I have a great respect, admiration and appreciation for fire. Yet I also know of its dangers; unnecessary to mention as the point is obvious to all.

So, fire is useful, needed, desired, respected and dangerous. Now, this is a weak, dull glimpse towards God and our healthy fear of him. Dangerous, yes. If we didn’t submit our will and life to him, we risk leading an unfulfilled life, experience a lack of power to deal with life’s circumstances and miss out on the joy of living that only Christ provides. Most dangerous is that God loves us so much, if we choose a life separate from him during our time on earth, he will grant that for eternity as well. For we who believe, we find fulfillment, joy and peace in living our lives led by him. We acknowledge we are not our own, and can’t do this ourselves. And we hold, also, to the knowledge that for all who choose to live apart from Christ, will remain so – as it is their will – for eternity.