LHC Midday Word: PSALM Sixty Seven

Sunday 26 December 2021

PSALM Sixty Seven

For the director of music.

With stringed instruments.

A psalm. A song.

May God be gracious to us and bless us

and make his face shine on us –

so that your ways may be known on earth,

your salvation among all nations.

May the peoples praise you, God;

may all the peoples praise you.

May the nations be glad and sing for joy,

for you rule the peoples with equity

and guide the nations of the earth.

May the peoples praise you, God;

may all the peoples praise you.

The land yields its harvest;

God, our God, blesses us.

May God bless us still,

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

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Word by Word Meditations

by Fred Ursell

Psalm 67 : “glad” (v.4)

Is praying just wishful thinking? There are 6 phrases starting with the ‘wish’ word “may” (for this or that) to happen in these 7 verses alone. It can look and sound like cloud cuckoo land. One of those prayerful wishes says “may the nations be glad and sing for joy” (v.4). For those who genuinely open themselves to the Lord the norm is not sadness but overflowing gladness.

Notice two things:

1] to “sing for joy” is what a glad heart does;

[2] those who feel the joy of the Lord within them wish all “the nations” of the world to have it as well. If we’re glad we’re saved, we’ll spread glad tidings!

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READING

Psalm Sixty Seven

Read by David Suchet