As believers, there are several things that the Lord wants us to be occupied with while we wait for His return. The most important thing we are to be doing, though, is telling others about Jesus, and bringing Him praise. One of Jesus’ last words that He spoke to His disciples before He returned to heaven was that He wanted us to go to all nations and tell them about Him. Our short psalm for today speaks of this, as well. Let’s take a quick look at this portion of Scripture from the Book of Psalms.
As our psalm opens, the writer desires God’s blessings and mercy upon his life. He speaks in a poetic manner about wishing God’s face to shine upon himself and the people (vs. 1). We can tell when we are in good favor with someone by the look on their face. As children we knew whether or not it was wise to ask a favor of our father when he got home from work by the look on his face. Later, as adults, we knew to tread softly at work if the boss’ face was in a scowl. A beaming smile indicates good favor, whereas a frown, scowl, or worse is not good.
To have God’s face to shine upon us means that He is looking towards us and on us with favor. Those who don’t enjoy His shining face endure His wrath. When God’s shining face is turned towards us, we should reflect His blessing in acts of love and service to a world lost in darkness. When we are filled with love and joy, it is often evident on our face. God’s shining face is part of the blessing He had the priests use for the people (Numbers 6:24-27).
The psalmist continues by declaring that God’s ways should be made known to all nations, all around the world (vs. 2). Unfortunately, during the time of the Old Testament, very few of God’s people told the people of other nations, the Gentiles, about the Lord. Though they believed that Yahweh was the one, true God, they felt that He was their God, and that He didn’t care about other nations. However, throughout the Old Testament, particularly in Psalms and many of the prophets, God says that He wants His message given to the world so that the Gentiles can come to Him.
This desire of God has not changed throughout the centuries. Jesus wanted His disciples, us, to spread the Gospel message of salvation throughout the world (Matthew 28:18-20). The psalmist declared that God’s ways and salvation should be made known all throughout the earth. When other peoples and other nations turn to the Lord, then His blessings can extend to them. After people have come to faith in the Lord Jesus, the natural response is to bring Him praise. They can be glad and sing for joy (vs. 3-4).
As we continue, the psalmist proclaims that God’s judgments are righteous (vs. 4). When He judges, it is not a mistaken judgment, and neither too harsh or too lenient. He does not desire that anyone should be lost or perish, but that they come to repentance and salvation, that they turn from their sins and be reconciled (II Peter 3:9). The only way that the lost are going to hear about Jesus is by us telling them, so again, the psalmist is urging us to bring God’s message to others.
The psalmist desires and prays for God’s blessings upon himself and the people around him. This isn’t for selfish reasons, or that his bank account will increase. He seeks God’s blessings so that His Name will be glorified throughout his neighborhood, his nation, and around the world (vs. 5-7). When others see how we follow the Lord, and that He hears and answers our prayers, when they see that we pray for a sick loved one, and they recover, or that we pray for a job and He hears and blesses us with one, etc. then they will seek to know Him, too. We will glorify God for answered prayer, and they can glorify Him, as well, for the salvation they found.
When we share the message of Jesus with others, they can come to enjoy God’s blessings upon their lives. Then they, too, will enjoy having God’s face to shine upon them, rather than face His wrath.
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