Psalms 67
I love the early mornings at my house. While my dog wakes me up extra early, I love to sit and look out the windows to see what will come through my yard. Life has slowed, but at the same time the tasks are great. While there are many inside tasks to do, these long days of rain have concerned me and lead me to pray for our farmers.
As harvest has just begun the rainy days do not bring a promise of healthy crops but rather our concern over spoiled crops and too wet straw/hay has dominated our thoughts. Long nights of combining and prayers for strength to bring in the harvest become our focus. In the midst of harvest and these long nights let us turn in worship to the God who is concerned for us.
Psalm 67 takes our focus off of the process of harvest and onto the blessings of the produce that God has provided. The harvest is God’s reminder to us that we have God greatest blessing in salvation. As sure as the harvest comes in its season so does God’s promised salvation.
1 God be gracious to us and bless us,
And cause His face to shine upon us— Selah.
2 That Your way may be known on the earth,
Your salvation 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 will judge the peoples with uprightness
And guide the nations on the earth. Selah.
5 Let the peoples praise You, O God;
Let all the peoples praise You.
6 The earth has yielded its produce;
God, our God, blesses us.
7 God blesses us,
That all the ends of the earth may fear Him.
The Psalm has three sections and encourages us to pause and reflect on God’s blessings. The agrarian themes of the passage connect our thoughts to those of farm life and the patterns of cultivation and harvest. The focus of the passage is upon God’s work to draw people to Himself and call them all to worship Him.
This Psalm draws our attention to God’s graciousness and His blessing asking Him to shine upon us. We ask Him to cause us to grow in our faith and knowledge of Him, to build within us dependance on Him. What a great promise to dwell on, His provision does not leave us to our own devices but rather great reliance upon Him.
His way will be known on earth; the nations will see His justice. As knowledge of God is revealed person to person, nation to nation hearts will turn to joy for the provision of God’s salvation. When people come to know God as savior it will cause many to rejoice over God’s work. His work of Grace for forgiveness of sins and judgment over sin reminds us of His direction and gift of salvation, again this is a promise to dwell on.
The harvest to come in God’s kingdom is the culmination of His gift of salvation, where we see Him face to face. Let us worship Him for His gift to us, to others, and His work in drawing others to Him. God is great and His work is a blessing, the work of the harvest anticipates the produce that God has grown. Let us dwell in praise for what He has done and will do.