The Rev. B.T. Gilligan '11, Pastor, Harrisville United Methodist Church, Harrisville, Pa.
Scripture
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.
Devotional
When we read Psalm 67 we read a Psalm of great joy and a desire to see the whole world praise God. Have you ever wondered what it would like to see all the people thank God? Can you imagine the scene of the whole world praising God at the same time? What a sight that would be!
Sometimes, in the midst of this season we can find ourselves so tired and worn out that we don’t even have the strength to praise God. How can we expect the whole world to praise God when we can’t even find the strength to praise God?
If, in the midst of this busy season, we find ourselves tired, worn out, and struggling to find the strength to praise God, may our prayer be the prayer in verse 1. May God grant us peace and bless us and shine on us.
Maybe we pray that prayer every day, or even every hour, but maybe in praying that prayer we can find grace and blessing and the strength to praise God.
Prayer
Sovereign God, be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, that your way may be known upon earth, your saving power among all nations. Amen.