“God be merciful unto us, and bless us; and cause His face to shine upon us” (Psalm 67:1).
What a beautiful prayer and desire. We need His mercy (His kindness in withholding what we really deserve), His blessing (His giving us what we could never merit or deserve), and His face shining upon us (this is an Old Testament request asking the Lord to look favorably upon His people. It is almost like the Psalmist is asking the Lord to smile down upon His people.) It reminds me of old preacher Lucas. One Sunday he closed the service by reminding the church family that the Lord loves them more than they could ever imagine. They smiled and nodded in appreciation. Then he said something that really stuck in their memory. He said, “Now you need to get going and remember, live in such a way that others can see His mercy, blessing, and smile in your life.” Many of his church family thought about that several times throughout the week. How about you? Is this how you are living?
For today: It is a precious reminder for us how to live for the Lord each day.