Psalm 66 reminds me of that old Coke commercial that begins with a lone voice and ends with the whole world singing together in harmony. It was a powerful image and spoke to our desire to belong. I believe we are all created with an inward desire to worship God. Many of us resist that pull, often by filling that void with other stuff. I tried going it alone for a period of time in my life and I understand the meaning of Genesis 2:18 “It is not good for the man to be alone“. This psalm is the basis for a worship song we used to sing at church. The words come with a melody in my head and I smile as I read it. This psalm begins directly, “Shout with joy to God, all the earth! Sing the glory of His Name“. The psalmist invites us to join him in his praise, “Say to God, ‘How awesome are Your deeds! So great is Your power that Your enemies cringe… All the earth bows down to You; they sing praise to You’.” I find it almost impossible to resist being refreshed as I sing praises to God with my church family. We are bolstered by unity. We are supported by unity. We are strengthened by unity. This call is open to all, “Come and see what God has done“. I am very comfortable saying to anyone that cares to know, that God has transformed my life. World history and my own life can be divided into the years Before Christ and the moment of introduction to the Savior. There is a beautiful harmony within the family of God because every heart submits to the authority of God, there are no solos necessary.
The psalmist also notes that God blesses nations as well as individuals. That is, you can be a beneficiary of God’s goodness by just being among people that honor God. But don’t miss the reaction to His provision, “He turned the sea into dry land, they passed through the waters on foot come, let us rejoice in Him“. When a nation or a people no longer acknowledge God as the source of their blessings, He will look for others to bless. “His eyes watch the nations let not the rebellious rise up against Him.” The psalm encourages God’s people to, “Praise our God… let the sound of His praise be heard; He has preserved our lives“. This does not mean we will not have seasons of refining in our life, but those seasons strengthen our faith. “You refined us like silver… we went through fire and water, but You brought us to a place of abundance“. We need to hear encouragement from those that were once in our situation, “let me tell you what He has done for me“. Look around; is there someone you can encourage?
The psalm ends in a transition from praise to prayer. “God has surely listened and heard my voice in prayer… not rejected my prayer or withheld His love from me!“. Psalm 67 is a prayer for the generations that follow, including you and me. “May God be gracious to us and bless us and make His face shine upon us, that Your ways may be known on earth.” World peace will not come from politicians or protesters. It will come from unified praise, “May all the peoples praise You. May the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you rule the peoples justly and guide the nations of the earth.” The psalmist repeats his prayer and the results that will follow, “May all the peoples praise You. Then the land will yield its harvest and God, our God, will bless us“. Notice it says “all the people”. I do not know how God will be able to unify all the people, but I do know something amazing happens when people join together in singing praises to God. Individually we have beautiful intimacy with God, while corporately we become one in spirit. The differences fade away. This short psalm ends by putting things into perspective, “God will bless us, and all the ends of the earth will fear Him“. In chapter 2 of the Book of Acts, Peter quotes one of God’s promises, “In the last days, God says, I will pour out My Spirit on all people“. The people asked, “What shall we do?“. If you desire perfect harmony, here is the answer, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off for all whom the Lord our God will call” (Acts 2:38). Now THAT’S the Real Thing!