Bless Us That We May Bless Others

At the beginning of Psalm 67, the psalmist stands before God and prays, “May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations.” The psalmist knows that he and his people have a long track record of unfaithfulness and rebellion toward God. He also knows that God is a God of mercy and grace and so he boldly asks God to bless him and his people.

But the psalmist is not simply asking for God’s blessing for their own enjoyment. He is asking for God’s blessing so that they can be a blessing to the nations. The psalmist desires to see what God wants to see—the nations reconciled to Him and blessed by the rule and reign of Jesus. And the psalmist knows that he and the nation of Israel—God’s chosen people—are the means God uses to extend His grace throughout creation.

The heart of this psalm is a prayer for God to make His name known, for all peoples to praise Him, and for the nations to be glad and sing for joy. This only happens when those of us who have been blessed and have experienced His grace make His way known on the earth.

God has blessed us richly and lavishly through the person and work of Jesus Christ. Psalm 67 seems to indicate that the reason God has blessed us is so that we can be a blessing to all the nations. God uses us to bear witness to His saving power. We are the means God chooses to bring people who are lost, who are hurting, and who are sick to a place where they can find healing and recovery in God’s kingdom. We are invited to invite others into a covenant relationship with God.

This is what we strive to do at MTW. Our donors, missionaries, staff, and national partners are working together to make God’s way known on the earth. Together we steward our blessings to advance the kingdom and extend God’s grace throughout creation by bringing the good news of the gospel to the nations.

Let us continue to ask how God might use us to advance His kingdom among the nations. Like the psalmist, let us boldly pray for God to bless us so that we might be a blessing to the nations.