SONG OF JOY FOR ALL NATIONS

June 27, 2022

May God be gracious to us and bless us, and cause His face to shine upon us, Selah that Your ways may be known on earth, Your salvation among all nations. Let the peoples praise You, O God; let all the peoples praise You. Let the nations be gladH8055 and sing for joyH7442, for You judge the peoples justly and lead the nations of the earth.

Psalm 67:1-4

67:1–7 This brief psalm develops two optimistic themes: the need and result of God’s mercy, and the future universal worship of God. The psalm reflects the promise to Abraham that God would bless his descendants, and in Abraham, “all the families of the earth” (Gen. 12:1–3).

MacArthur Study Bible

This is a futuristic psalm, encouraging all nations to praise God. God’s people, the descendants of Abraham and Sarah were to live so in harmony with God that the Gentiles would be attracted to the God they worshipped. In this way, all nations would be blessed through the Israelites and desire to become proselytes—converts—to the Jewish religion, worshipping the one true God. Jesus’s disciples preached salvation first to the Jews and then to the Gentiles. Jesus made it clear that salvation is available to people of all nations (Matthew 28:19, Mark 16:15). The only ones excluded from God’s salvation are those who refuse to believe in and trust Jesus, His Son. He is the righteous judge of all the peoples. This will be completely manifested during the millennial reign of Jesus and forever afterward. When the earth is perfectly ruled by our Lord, it will be peaceful, full of joy, ready to be explored with no fear, and the totality of justice.

I (Susan) am not a singer. My song of praise and joy is found in any way that God communicates to my audience through me, His vessel—teaching, writing, scripture memes, etc. A visual artist expresses joy through painting, sculpting, etc. A carpenter’s joy is found in making wood into something useful—a piece of furniture or the framework of a house. For believers, there are many ways to “sing” joyfully to and about our Lord. Each day of our lives should be a joyous melody of praise to the One who gives us strength for each moment. The believer’s joy is to live in harmony with the way of the Lord right now. Therefore, when He is ruling and reigning on the earth, we will already be dedicated to this way of living to the point that it is as natural as breathing.  We can sing for joy now because we know that God is in control and that ultimately His control will be evident to all. The chaos of the present world does not dissuade us from trust in His control because we know that our security in Christ is guaranteed by His Holy Spirit within us (Ephesians 1:13-14).

Do you have a song of joy in your heart and on your lips today? Are you confident in the Lord’s control? Is your life lived in praise to Jesus, the righteous Judge and Lord of all?

Father, put a song of joy in our hearts as we trust in Your control over all our circumstances. Help us to sing as joyfully in the darkest days as we do on our best day.

Worship with The Newsboys: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKTqwBetI1I