The God Pause Daily Devotional from The Luther Seminary of Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States for Tuesday, 15 August 2017 - Psalm 67

The God Pause Daily Devotional from The Luther Seminary of Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States for Tuesday, 15 August 2017 - Psalm 67
Psalm 67:1

 (0) For the leader. With stringed instruments. A psalm. A song:

2 (1) God, be gracious to us, and bless us.

May he make his face shine toward us, (Selah)

3 (2) so that your way may be known on earth,

your salvation among all nations.

4 (3) Let the peoples give thanks to you, God;

let the peoples give thanks to you, all of them.

5 (4) Let the nations be glad and shout for joy,

for you will judge the peoples fairly

and guide the nations on earth. (Selah)

6 (5) Let the peoples give thanks to you, God;

let the peoples give thanks to you, all of them.

7 (6) The earth has yielded its harvest;

may God, our God, bless us.

8 (7) May God continue to bless us,

so that all the ends of the earth will fear him.

(Complete Jewish Bible)
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Later in the week, we'll glance at the hymn, "There's a Wideness in God's Mercy." Today's reading from Psalm 67 suggests (twice) how far God wants that wideness to extend:
Let the peoples praise you, God,
let all the peoples praise you.
This psalm is a prayer that all come to know and experience what God is up to in the world--bringing about universal justice, offering a "saving" health care plan with universal coverage! The psalmist sees God's action in the world as the way for all nations. It's a way where everyone finds justice, where grateful people come to recognize God's mercy and God's blessings in life. As just one example, check out how God operates through mother earth to sustain the blessing of life. The psalmist's hope is that "all the ends of the earth" will acknowledge the breathtaking blessings of a God like this. It's the perfect place for a word we like to use--awesome!
Gracious God, We thank you for our world and everything that lets us live, move and have our being. May all experience the awe and the wonder at being God-blessed. Amen
Paul D. Opsahl, '60
Pastor Emeritus, Community Lutheran Church, Sterling, Virginia
Psalm 67:1 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 upon 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, has blessed us.
7 May God continue to bless us; let all the ends of the earth revere him. (New Revised Standard Version)

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