May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, Selah
that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations.
Psalm 67:1–2
A dear brother of mine, before he moved to a different state, confessed, “When I first came to Grace, if you had asked me if I enjoyed God I would have said, ‘not really.’ But now I can honestly say I enjoy God!” That was a delightful thing to hear. God’s grace and blessing have been lavished on us through Jesus Christ (Eph. 1-3).
The plea of Psalm 67:1 is for God’s grace, His blessing, and for His face to sine upon us. The Hebrew word translated “face” (paneh) is a word to describe the face and the presence of God i.e. to be in front of. This is the place of protection and blessing. In His presence is the place of full joy and satisfaction (Ps. 16:11). In Christ we have been reconciled to God so that we can enjoy his presence – the very thing for which we were created. That is why we are reminded multiple times to draw near to God, to abide in Christ – follow in His steps, to walk in the Spirit, and to let His Self-disclosure dwell in us in all of its richness. This is how a child of God practices the presence of God. Hear the Father’s heart drawing you near for your joy and satisfaction. Passionately pursue Him! The word “selah” at the end of v.1 is like saying “think about it.” In other words, let this be the occupation of your heart and mind.
But enjoying God’s presence is not ultimately about us, but His glory. To glorify God is to point people to Him. We point people to Him when we experience His presence powerfully. Psalm 67:2 affirms that when God’s face shines upon us – when we know the joy and satisfaction of His presence – His ways and His saving power are known on earth. John Stott said it well, “They prayed that God would bless them, not in order to wallow comfortably in his blessings themselves, but in order that it might pass from them to others…” (Favorite Psalms, p.68). God’s face shines on His people so that unbelieving people will recognize His power. Of course, we get great delight in being part of it.
I pray for you – that you may know and practice the joyful, delightful, satisfying presence of your loving Father – that His face will shine upon you so that His Son, Jesus, becomes a powerful attraction.
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