“God be Gracious to us and Bless us”

Bible Text: Psalm 67 | Preacher: Pastor Mark Verbruggen | Series: The Liturgy of the Psalms | Today we hear God’s Word of Blessing from Psalm 67. What is a blessing? It is something good.
Family, friends, a good job, financial security and the like can all be called “blessings”. However,
from a spiritual perspective, a blessing from God is more than “good things”, it is a “Good
Word”. After we have gathered together for worship and the time comes for us to leave the
worship setting and re-enter our lives in this world, we receive God’s Blessing for the work
ahead. This part of our Worship Service is not a matter of receiving some material reward at the
end. Worship that begins with “God’s Call”, finishes with “God’s Blessing”. It is the “Good
Word” in which God himself enters the life of his people as they enter the world. In this
Blessing, God enters into a gracious and personal relationship with us, his people.
Liturgy and worship that is not God-centered and Christ-focused leads to a worldview that
becomes more about felt needs, social causes, family drama, and cultural expectations. Not
only is that unbiblical, it’s boring. When we see the big picture of the Creator, Redeemer, and
Sustainer of the universe, we know that in God we live, move, and have our being. His blessing
is for all our callings in life from the home, to our place of labor, to the classroom, to our
favorite vacation place. We can embrace it all because it has all been embraced by God. When
God pronounces his blessing upon his people the Name of God is sealed upon our foreheads
and we take God’s Name with us into our day to day lives.