Reflections
Psalm 67: 2-3, 5-6, 8
“May God be gracious to us and bless us; may God's face shine upon us.”
So much that God does for us is contained
in this opening verse of the Psalm. God gives
us His grace through His son Jesus, who is
our Savior. And we all want God’s blessings as
the Psalm says. Since the time of Moses,
God’s chosen people have reached out for
God’s blessings.
God gives us material blessings –
all our treasure and gifts are from Him.
And thankfully, He gives us spiritual blessings
as well – as St. Paul tells us, to each individual
the manifestation of the spirit is given for
some benefit.
No wonder that we Gentiles were attracted
to the faith, when St. Paul and Barnabas
were traveling through the towns and visiting
the early churches. And what could be better
than to have God's face shine upon us, as the
psalmist says. We have a hint of what the
radiance of God's face may be like in
our 2nd reading, where St. John speaks of
the light of God's glory that shines in the
city of heaven.
By ministering to the Gentiles the 'way' of
the Lord became known upon earth among
all the nations, as the Psalm says. Indeed the
Psalm predicts that God’s saving power shall
be known among all the peoples. Thankfully,
that includes us.
Today we join with our psalmist and the members
of the early church in praising God –
“May the peoples praise you, O God;
may all the peoples praise you.”
Amen
Discussion Questions for Reflection
1. Our psalmist asks that God will let His face shine
upon us. Tell of how you have felt the radiance of
God when He is present to you.
2. The Psalm prays that the Lord's 'way' be known among
all nations. What have you done personally to encourage
others to follow the 'way' of the Lord?
The Lord has shown me several ways to proclaim His Holy name. I use social networking services like twitter and facebook to add uplifting messages and events. With the rise in technology it is easier now more than ever to fill the world with His word and glory. My next project is video and film. The harvest is bountiful. Lets do it for God.
ReplyDeleteThe Lord has shown me several ways to proclaim His Holy name. I use social networking services like twitter and facebook to add uplifting messages and events. With the rise in technology it is easier now more than ever to fill the world with His word and glory. My next project is video and film. The harvest is bountiful. Lets do this for God.
ReplyDeleteThere have been times in our lives when we have been challenged, specifically the loss of loved ones, but we have survived, and grown in the process. We certainly are grateful, and thank God for all that He has given us in our 50 years of love and companionship.
ReplyDeleteI was not called to go out and evangelize to other countries. But on my own part at home I have plenty of God's work to do. Scripture says if we keep His commandments and remain in His love, and if we try to live our lives in accord with His will, the blessings of "spiritual joy" will fill us and remain in us. We'll feel the radiance of God's presence, so that we can touch each others lives with God's love within us, as a reflection of Him.
ReplyDeleteIn my case, If I stand still in front of Him meditating on His words and confess my present sins, He renews my spirit with peace of mind. I experience that God's face shines upon me every time I do. My faith is strengthened so that I can move forward and I can expand God's love toward others around me with a gentle smile and a compassionate heart.
I will give a couple of examples. (1) At the Thai restaurant where we used to go they were worshiping an idol and burning incense. They were all Buddhist, including the two cooks. I approached them in person to talk about Jesus - who is the one true, living God. I suggested they go to any Church near by to listen to the Word of God. I told them, "Your weary life will be comforted." They nodded their heads. In His time God will call them. (2) Recently I told my neighbors to contribute their comments on Barry's Blog. In this way, I told them, they can develop a strong faith in God as well as deeper fellowship with our Lord.