Thursday - Psalm 67 - A Reason to be Blessed

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UMBERS 6:22-24 tells us that God gave the exact words that He wanted the Levites to use when they blessed His people.   But, why did God want to bless them?  To begin with, He wanted to be associated with them.  He wanted them to bear His name before the nations of the world.  His blessings upon His people in every dispensation are to be part of a program of revelation.  In the plan of redemption, it is necessary that in some way blind sinners be made to see their Creator (Hebrews 11:6).  God was trying to reveal Himself through Israel. Now He is doing it through His church. 

So, if we receive His blessings, it is not just for our own benefit and enjoyment, we should be conduits... vehicles of His glory and truth; carrying the gospel of God to the nations (Psalm 67:2).  So, we should be faithful in praising God.  His blessings upon us should elicit a constant flow of worship from our hearts... worship which should then be evident upon our lips in the form of praise.  And our praise is intended to be contagious (Psalm 67:3 & 5). 

Someday everyone will praise Him (Isaiah 45:23, Romans 14:11 & especially Philippians 2:10-11).  It is our goal to get all people to be busy praising Him now (while it will still do them some good and while He can receive pleasure from it, not just glory - Hebrews 11:6, Revelation 4:11, Ezekiel 33:11, Joshua 7:19, Isaiah 42:8 & 43:7).  His pleasure and glory come when individuals willingly humble themselves before Him in faith and love.  However, His glory can come in the destruction of wicked men who die in their sins.  As He blesses us, and we praise Him, there will be more of us to praise Him, He will then be willing to bless us even more and the volume of His critics will dwindle as they see His undeniable presence among us.