BLESS YOU!
Opening Prayer
I lift up my soul to you, Lord God, and come before you with praise and thanksgiving. Teach me and lead me in your truth today.
Read PSALM 67
Psalm 67[a]
For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A psalm. A song.
1 May God be gracious to us and bless us
and make his face shine on us—[b]
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.
Footnotes
- Psalm 67:1 In Hebrew texts 67:1-7 is numbered 67:2-8.
- Psalm 67:1 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verse 4.
New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
‘Bless the Lord, Oh my soul, oh my soul, worship his holy name.’* Think about the reasons you have to bless the Lord, and sing them with fervor as you come into God’s presence.This psalm, to be accompanied with guitars, violins, and any other stringed instrument you can name, is a lovely poem asking God to bless his people. The first verse is a reminder of the blessing in Numbers 6:24-26—the priestly blessing—and the psalmist clearly longs for everyone, everywhere, to praise the Lord. Two reasons are given: the justice and guidance of God (v 4), and the blessing of harvest (v 6) that we’re celebrating again around this time of year. There’s also a sense that the blessing of God on his people, when it comes, is to be a witness to the world, a testimony to the love of God for his people (vs 2,7).
Paul wrote to Timothy twice, and both letters open with Paul asking for the blessing of ‘Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord’ (2 Timothy 1:2) to be upon his dear son in the faith. That’s something we might well consider beginning with next time we’re in touch with someone!
Apply
With the immediacy of multiple types of communication available to us today, we may sometimes plunge straight in without any opening ‘Hello, how are you?’ preamble. Take time to write a card or letter today, just asking God to bless someone.
Closing prayer
Loving God, I am so grateful for the grace and mercy that you pour out in my every day. Help me to express that gratitude, not just to you, but to others. Help me to be more intentional about pointing others to you, showing them the loving care and peace you offer in abundance.
*’10,000 Reasons’, Jonas Myrin and Matt Redman, 2011, Thankyou Music.
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