Trivia:
For all of you avid readers; Which novel was first published by Jane Austen? Mansfield Park; Sense and Sensibility; Emma; or Pride and Prejudice. Make your guess.
Challenge:
Psalm 67:1-4 "May God be merciful and bless us. May His face smile with favor on us. 2 May our ways be known throughout the earth. your saving power among people everywhere. 3 May the nations praise you, O God. Yes, may all the nations praise you. 4 Let the whole world sing for joy, because you govern the nations with justice and guide the people of the whole world."
This section of the Psalm develops three themes:
The saving power of God for all mankind
The fair, constant justice by which God governs all of the world
His promise to provide guidance for all who desire to receive it
Now with that background lets look deeper into these verses:
Vs. 1 We see first God's desire is to minister to the entire world His mercy and blessings, which is demonstrated by His outer expression of His smile (sunshine & rain). Then the favor that He attempts to shower on any and all people. This is demonstrated by a universal regard that He upholds to all men. (integrity and respect).
Vs. 2a "May your ways be known" we also see this clarified in Numbers 6:24-26 The Priestly prayer
"May the Lord Bless you and protect you.
May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you.
May the Lord show you His favor and give you His peace."
Vs. 2b Talks about God's constant desire to bring His salvation to all mankind, everywhere.
Vs.3,4 The writer focuses our thoughts on two reasons that we should lift our voices in praise to God:
Because He governs the world with a level form of justice, not only blessing people who obey
Him, or even seek to honor Him
He also has established guidelines for living that if followed will bring benefit to all of the ages
SO GO WITH GOD for regardless of whether we fully escribe to all of His teachings or not, still yet He promises to bring benefit to our lives to the extent that we obey His instruction. As well as, He promises to pass onto our lives that gift of etrernal life.
We all know people who live lives of principles that enjoy the many benefits of those very guidelines, but fail to surrender to His saving grace. There principled actions result in many blessings, however, the sad outcome is that eternal life can't be enjoyed by them. We are saddened by those people in our lives who are good, fair, and just people, but are unable to place their trust in Jesus for their salvation.
Our goal should be that we strive to pass on the unlimited salvation that we enjoy to all of those that we come in contact with. And also that we bring to them the reality of Our Saviour's gift that He freely offers to them, no holds, no bars.
Mansfield Park