My First Blog - A Tithe to the Lord

Blessing- reflections from Psalm 67

Blessing… it’s something that every Christian has an interest in and a word that is bantered around so frequently! When someone sneezes, we bless them- at the end of a phone conversation, we bless the caller- we pray that God would bless food to our bodies and ask him to bless the needy and to bless our friends and families. What is blessing all about? Is blessing simply the Christian equivalent to the world’s wishing or is there something more to it? The blessing of God is often associated with the context of worship. The most appropriate place for blessing (according to the Old Testament) is at the end of a worship service. The prayer of blessing is a prayer for those who have gathered in worship that what they have received will go with them and infiltrate every area of their daily lives. It is like a bridge that joins the worship service with outside every day life. Israel fully intended to receive God’s blessing in going to the sanctuary to take part in “worship”. Mowinckel writes “through worship and all its rites, blessing was achieved, made secure and increased for individuals and for the community”.

Psalm 67 is a Psalm most likely to have been a prayer for blessing. A context where the Psalm may have been read was as a congregational benediction at the end of a worship service or other worship occasion. Deuteronomy demonstrates for us that God intended His blessing to empower growth, fertility and prosperity (Deut 7:13; 28:3-6). The blessing of God is His presence with us in every thing and always- it is His hand that sustains and His hand that provides. A.A.Anderson says that God’s blessing is “the active help of God Himself”.

This Psalm is an incredible prayer to pray for our own lives and for the lives of those with whom we will connect. It is a prayer that God would bless us in order that we would be used (by Him) to bless His earth and His people. The Psalmist’s cry in verse one that God would “mark us with grace and blessing” is a desire that through God’s activity in our own lives, people everywhere would come to know our Mighty God and Saviour. In this rich understanding of blessing, the often-perceived self-indulgent prayer becomes the most generous and outward looking desire.

In a similar sense, the shining forth of God’s face among His people (v1) is a metaphor for His goodwill and blessing. Proverbs 16:15 says “When a kings face brightens, it means life; his favour is like a rain cloud in spring.” A bright shining face reveals a person of good disposition and is a sign of inward pleasure. How much would we therefore seek the face of God in our lives- that at one glance of His face, we may never be the same again. When the Psalmist says, “Let all people thank and enjoy you”, we can only imagine that there will come a day when all people will know of the goodness of God and His saving power that sets humanity free.

The blessing of God is realised in our lives through many and diverse examples. The Bible teaches us that blessing can come in the form of posterity (Gen 26:23; 28:3), prosperity and wealth (Gen 24:35; Deut 7:12-13), land (Gen 35:12; 48:3), fertility, health and victory (Deut 7:14-16).

God’s blessing has a purpose in our lives for the sake of others as Psalm 96 so poignantly demonstrates. The Psalm is a prayer for salvation in the widest sense- for the whole world. This prayer looks upon the day that those who hear of our wonderful God and all that He gives and provides and allows, may in hearing choose to receive Christ and all His benefits- that they too may be able to thank and enjoy God! In this sense, join the Psalmist and pray that in your life, you too may be very blessed by Almighty God!

Taken From http://www.fivelines.com/ - The Official Website of Reuben Morgan