Dave's Diary

Daily Reading: Psalm 67

“³ May the peoples praise you, God;
    may all the peoples praise you.”

When God called Abram to leave his father’s household and his country and to follow God, He promised Abram that “all peoples on earth will be blessed through you” (Genesis 12:3). Now, centuries later, Psalm 67 represents an extended prayer for all the nations and peoples of the earth to be restored to God and to bring their unique praise to God. In a vision that will ultimately be fulfilled in the new heavens and the new earth when “a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language” (Revelation 7:9) will worship God together, Psalm 67 repeatedly prays for “all the peoples” and “all nations of the earth” to praise the LORD.

Even the beautiful prayer that God, our God, would be gracious to us, bless us and make His face shine on us, is framed within the greater purpose – “so that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations” (v.2) and so that “all the ends of the earth will fear Him” (v.7). The Psalmist prays for God’s rich blessings upon His own people Israel, but also prays unselfishly for God to rule and guide all the nations of the earth with equity (justice) and that the greater outcome of blessings on God’s own people would be a world-wide acknowledgment of God’s goodness and grace (v.2).

The growing animosity between Jew and Samaritan, which we have observed over the last two days’ readings of 2 Kings 17 and Ezra 4, and which we will see again in John 4 on Sunday, does not represent God’s heart. God’s heart is to draw all nations and peoples to Himself. His desire is to shine the blessing and light of His glorious love upon every person on earth. As God’s people, let us allow the Holy Spirit to awaken the same desire in our hearts – the desire to see all nations and peoples restored to God and His blessing through faith in Jesus Christ. Let us allow the Holy Spirit to cleanse our hearts of all racism, ethnic pride and exclusivism and to create in us a clean heart that longs to see all peoples and nations restored to God’s blessing and purpose through Christ.

Come Holy Spirit, change my heart, and fill it with love for the ones You love. Fill my heart with a longing to see the Father’s glory on display in every nation on earth, and His blessed goodness poured out on every people and tribe. Amen.