Psalm 68 – Feels Good

There are certain things that are just good things. It doesn’t take a genius to recognize them. Even a child can tell. One of the most obvious good is realized when providing for those who are in need. And while you can’t always trust your feelings, it certainly feels good to help.

“A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families, he leads forth the prisoners with singing.” – Psalm 68:5-6

God is a good God. While God is just, he is certainly a God of compassion. In the middle of a life filled with amazingly high highs and low lows, David remembers and worships this God of Goodness.

“But may the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful. Sing to God, sing praise to his name, extol him who rides on the clouds - his name is the LORD - and rejoice before him.” – Psalm 68:3-4

I love what Matthew Henry writes today: “God is the joy of his people, then let them rejoice when they come before him. He who derives his being from none, but gives being to all, is engaged by promise and covenant to bless his people. He is to be praised as a God of mercy and tender compassion. He ever cares for the afflicted and oppressed: repenting sinners, who are helpless and exposed more than any fatherless children, are admitted into his family, and share all their blessings.”

Psalm 67 – Me Church

Several years ago I had some conflict with another person on my leadership team. To be honest with you, it was a really tough time. While it wasn’t about something that was intended towards them, they took it personally. I found myself really struggling with wanting them to see that it wasn’t about them, and if they could just see that, we could both get over it. All along I was asking God for His blessing and favor for myself. It wasn’t until God told me, “Brandon, this isn’t about you either”, that I started to realize that I had taken something that was supposed to be about Him and was making it about me.

We’re a pretty selfish people. It's our nature… which makes it hard to put others first. It’s also the thing that makes it hard to put God first. This is a big problem in the Church. Most of the time we don’t even realize when we’re doing it. Selfishness causes much strife and tension. When we make it about us, our agenda and our comfort, instead of Him and others, we are simply going and pointing others in the wrong direction. We make it “Me Church” instead of “His Church”. This is what I thought about when I read Psalm 67:

“May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine upon us (Selah) that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations.” – Psalm 67:1-2

David is praying for God’s graciousness, His blessing, and His favor. This is a good thing. The difference between what David was saying and what we typically pray for is found in verse 2: “That YOUR ways may be known”.

Father, we desire your grace, blessing, and favor. Of course we do. Teach us to desire it not for our name to be known, but for yours to be known, and that others might come to know you as well. Amen.