The Heart Behind Missional Living (Psalm 66-68)
Do you think of yourself as a missionary? God is a sending God and invites us to help the world see and worship him for who he truly is.
Psalm 66-68
Today's Scripture Passage
A Few Thoughts to Consider
Do you think of yourself as a missionary or missional person?
For many in and outside the church today, the term missionary has negative connotations. However, God is a missional or sending God. He goes to where people are so they can experience the beauty of his presence. We see this especially reflected in Psalm 67, which says:
1 May God be gracious to us and bless us;
may he make his face shine upon us Selah
2 so that your way may be known on earth,
your salvation among all nations.
3 Let the peoples praise you, God;
let all the peoples praise you.
4 Let the nations rejoice and shout for joy,
for you judge the peoples with fairness
and lead the nations on earth. Selah
5 Let the peoples praise you, God,
let all the peoples praise you.
6 The earth has produced its harvest;
God, our God, blesses us.
7 God will bless us,
and all the ends of the earth will fear him.
“This brief psalm is in the form of a prayer for blessing echoing the priestly benediction of Num. 6:22–27.”[1] As Craig Broyles writes, “What is perhaps most unique about this psalm is how it blends together the priestly blessing on the nation’s harvests (vv. 1, 6–7) and the wish that Yahweh’s praise extend to the nations (vv. 2–5), as expressed in the psalms of Yahweh’s kingship (Pss. 47; 93; 96–99).”[2]
This passage brings us back to the heart of God. He desires that all people, from all nations, worship him. Only through doing so do people find lasting meaning and satisfaction. Worship should be the primary motivation for missional living. In Let the Nations Be Glad, John Piper puts it this way. “Missions,” he says, “exists because worship doesn't. Worship is ultimate, not missions, because God is ultimate, not man. When this age is over, and the countless millions of the redeemed fall on their faces before the throne of God, missions will be no more. It is a temporary necessity. But worship abides forever.”[3]
The authentic heart behind living on mission is not one intent on merely convincing others to believe what we believe. Instead, true missional living is going to where others are and helping them encounter the joy of worshipping God. As we do this, we’re helping others align with who they were intended to be.
If we miss this, missional living will feel like drudgery. But if we embrace this, it gives lasting meaning to every step of faith we take. In The Mission of God, Christopher Wright says, “Mission, from the point of view of our human endeavor, means the committed participation of God’s people in the purposes of God for the redemption of the whole creation. The mission is God’s. The marvel is that God invites us to join in.”[4]
A Meditation to PRAY
Praise | Lord, I praise you for your abundant blessings and your mercy that shines upon us. Your ways are righteous, and your salvation is for all people. I am grateful for your unfailing love and grace, which reach every corner of the earth.
Release | Lord, I release any doubts or fears about your provision and guidance. Help me to let go of my worries about the future and trust in your perfect plan. I surrender my anxieties to you, knowing that you guide the nations with equity and that your blessings bring true joy and peace.
Ask | Lord, I ask for your continued grace and blessings upon my life and the lives of all your people. May your ways be known throughout the earth, and may your salvation reach every nation. Help me to be a vessel of your love and a witness to your goodness, spreading your light wherever I go.
Yield | Lord, I yield my heart to you, committing to praise you among all peoples. I surrender my life to your guidance, trusting in your righteous judgment and your promise of abundant harvests. May my life reflect your glory, and may all nations come to know and worship you through the blessings you bestow.
