"May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations." (Ps. 67:1-2)
How often have you desired God's blessing in your life? Is it OK to pray that God will bless us? The psalmist prays that. He cried out, "God be gracious to us and bless us." Notice, however, the prayer does not end there. He goes on with a "so that" to his prayer. God blesses us in order that He might get glory throughout all the earth.
From the beginning of Genesis to the end of Revelation God's heart is for all the people's of the world. Every tribe and nation and tongue. Nation in the Bible, by the way, is "ethnos" which is a reference to people groups, not political and governmental borders. God desires that every people group hear His Word and know His glory.
So God blesses us in order that we might bless others. Whenever we hoard God's blessings to ourselves, they rot like the manna in the wilderness when the Israelites gathered too much and tried to keep it to themselves. It is right to pray for God's blessings as long as we desire to be used by Him to bless others.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
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