Psalm 67 – God Smiles
Psalm 67 begins with the phrase, “May his face shine on us,” or in other translations, “smile” on us. What does it mean to have God smile upon us? Let’s explore this through Psalm 67 – God smiles.
Psalm 67
Psalm 67 – God smiles, is a simple psalm of praise and blessing. The psalmist asks for God’s blessing.
“May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine on us.” (1)
The result of this blessing is that God’s ways will be known throughout the earth.
“So that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations.” (2)
The psalmist goes on to pray that all people will come to praise God.
“May the peoples praise you, God; let all the peoples praise you.
May the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you rule the peoples with equity and guide the nations of the earth. (3-4)
The psalm ends by reminding us how God blesses us with the harvest.
“The land yields its harvest; God, our God, blesses us.
May God bless us still, so that all the ends of the earth will fear him.” (6-7)
God’s Face Shines Upon Us
The blessing prayer at the beginning of Psalm 67 – God smiles, is a familiar one, found elsewhere in the Bible. It asks that God might cause his face to shine upon us. As one commentator states: “To have the glorious, happy face of God shining upon us is the greatest gift we could have. To know that as God looks upon you, He is well pleased – not because of who you are, or what you have done, but because you are in Jesus Christ – there is no greater source of peace and power in life.” (Enduring Word Bible Commentary Psalm 67)
I am a morning person. I love to drink my coffee and watch the sun rise.
“Look, God has turned on the pretty lights!” I used to fling open the curtains and tell my children when they were young. Thus gaining a few moments of quiet as they looked at the sight.
Some days, there are nothing but clouds, other days, without the right number of clouds for the sun to shine upon, I see the sun rising but without the beauty of pinks, oranges, reds and yellows. And then there are those glorious mornings when God’s beauty is on full display, shining God’s face upon us.
Other translations of this line are, “May he smile on us!” (God’s Word Translation, NET Bible) “May his face smile with favor on us.” (New Living Translation) I love this image of God smiling.
Psalm 67 – God Smiles
There is nothing like a baby’s first smile. You want to bask in that smile for as long as possible. With my babies, I remember holding this child and recognizing that there was nothing in the world that was more important than what I was doing at that moment.
And I wonder, does God smile at us like a baby at their mother? Or like a mother or father gazing upon their child with love, or the pride of a parent when their child amazes them?
Some mornings I sit and let the rising sun shine on my face. And I wonder, is this God smiling at me? I could sit there all day but there is work to be done. Still the memory of that smile sustains me throughout my day.
Wherever you are in your life’s journey, I pray with the writer of Psalm 67 – God smiles, may God smile on you!
What has been your experience of God smiling?
(For another take on this Psalm, see Psalm 67: Avoiding Triumphalism – Patricia M Robertson)
This post is part of a series of blog posts on the Psalms. Sign up to follow this blog and receive a free copy of Still Dancing, the second book in my Dancing through Life Series. click here to sign up
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