At Mercy Hill, we’re currently walking through a series called A Selection of Psalms. While I have a long-term vision to eventually preach through every psalm during my time here, this series can only touch a few. That’s why I’m using the blog to explore a few more psalms that are close to my heart—psalms that speak deeply to who God is, who we are, and how we’re called to live.
Psalm 67 is one of those psalms. It’s a short, powerful song—what pastors and scholars have called “the Great Commission of the Old Testament.” In just seven verses, we get a window into the missionary heart of God: the blessings he gives are never meant to terminate on his people. They’re meant to flow through us to the ends of the earth.
So, this four-part blog series is going to wrestle with a simple but deeply important question: Why has God blessed you? Why were you born where you were born? Why do you have the education, resources, relationships, and opportunities you do? Why has God, in his sovereignty, poured out his grace on you in the way that he has?
Psalm 67 shows us that God blesses his people so that his way may be known, his saving power may be seen, and his name may be praised among all nations.
Recognizing Your Blessing
Let’s start here: you are blessed. We often miss this because we compare our lives to people who seem to have more. But take a step back. Most of us:
- Have clean water, food in the fridge, and shelter every night.
- Have access to medical care, transportation, and education.
- Have families, churches, careers, and friends.
Those things are not rights. They are gifts. They’re grace. Even more than that, if you are a Christian, you have the ultimate blessing: the light of the gospel shining into your heart. You have spiritual eyes to see. You have the Spirit of God dwelling within you. You have a future with Christ secured by the blood he shed on your behalf. We are so blessed. The question is: Why?
The World’s Answer vs. God’s Purpose
The world is very clear about how you should use your blessing: for you. Use your gifts to climb the ladder. Use your wealth to build your comfort. Use your influence to make your name known.
But Psalm 67 offers a very different answer. It shows us that God gives blessing with a purpose—and it’s not to make us the center. It’s to make him known.
A Ponzi Scheme and a Misused Trust
To illustrate the danger of misused blessing, let’s go back to a real financial scandal. In the early 2000s, attorney Scott Rothstein operated one of the largest Ponzi schemes in Florida history. From 2005 to 2009, he ran a fraudulent investment operation out of his Fort Lauderdale law firm, promising huge returns through bogus legal settlements. When it all came crashing down, Rothstein had defrauded investors of over $1.2 billion. He used their money to buy luxury cars, mansions, watches, and influence.
But here’s the kicker: that money wasn’t his. It was entrusted to him to manage, not to spend. His crime wasn’t just theft—it was a violation of stewardship. And that’s exactly what happens spiritually when we take the blessings God has entrusted to us—our time, our talents, and our treasure—and treat them like they’re ours to consume, rather than tools to steward for his glory and mission.
Psalm 67: A Prayer with a Purpose
Psalm 67 opens with this familiar and beautiful blessing: “May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, Selah…” (Ps. 67:1).
This is a clear callback to the priestly blessing in Numbers 6:24–26: “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.”
To every Israelite, this would have triggered deep emotion and spiritual memory. It was a declaration of God’s favor—a reminder that everything they had was a result of his kindness. Every harvest, every child, every breath was grace.
In that sense, Psalm 67:1 is deeply personal. It invites us to remember the goodness of God in our lives. The language of blessing, grace, and God’s shining face evokes the image of a proud, joyful father looking upon his child with delight.
A Father’s Smile
One Sunday years ago, my daughter HattieJo was learning a memory verse in our kids’ ministry. They told the kids, “If you can recite it to Mrs. Linda, you’ll get candy!” And look—we’re very into motivating godliness in our house through Starbursts and Fun Dip. When I got home after preaching, HJ came running up to me: “Dad, I nailed it!” I could see the joy in her eyes and hear the pride in her voice. And I couldn’t stop smiling. HattieJo was beaming—but I was beaming more.
That moment reminds me of Psalm 67. God blesses us not with cold obligation, but with fatherly affection. His face shines on us. He delights to show favor to his children.
But It Doesn’t Stop with You
Psalm 67 doesn’t stop at verse 1. That’s crucial. It moves immediately into verse 2: “…that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations.”
There’s a purpose clause right there in the text: that. God blesses His people so that his way—his truth, his salvation, his name—may be known in all the earth. This is the turning point. It’s the missional engine of the psalm. God’s blessings are not the end goal. They’re a means to make him known. God’s face shines on you so that his glory can shine through you.
This Is a Missionary Psalm
As I alluded to above, Psalm 67 is a missionary psalm. It’s about the gospel going global. Verse 3 cries out: “Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you!”
Verse 4 continues: “Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth. Selah”
This is a Psalm written in ancient Israel, generations before Christ, but it’s pulsating with the heartbeat of the Great Commission. God wants all nations to know him. He wants all peoples to rejoice in him. The blessings of God were always meant to extend beyond the borders of Israel to the ends of the earth.
Pastors like John Piper and JD Greear have been massively influential in helping the church see this. Their teaching and discipleship have helped a generation rediscover the truth that missions is not a program of the church—it’s the very purpose of the church.
So…Why Has God Blessed You?
Let’s bring it home. If God has blessed you with salvation, resources, health, opportunity, or influence—he has done it with a purpose: so that his name would be known in the earth. That means:
- Your job isn’t just about a paycheck—it’s a platform.
- Your home isn’t just a place of rest—it’s a space for hospitality and discipleship.
- Your money isn’t just for spending—it’s for sending.
- Your children aren’t just to be raised safely—they’re to be raised strategically with God’s global heart in view.
None of us steward our blessings perfectly—but the good news is, we can start today.
Questions for Reflection and Action
Take time this week to reflect honestly:
- How am I leveraging my talents for the mission of God?
- Are my finances aligned with God’s heart for the nations?
- When’s the last time I prayed for an unreached people group—or supported someone who is going to them?
- Am I raising my kids to see the world through God’s global lens?
- Do I treat my time, relationships, and resources as tools for mission—or trophies of comfort?
Conclusion: Don’t Waste the Blessing
Here’s the truth: you didn’t earn God’s blessing. You didn’t earn your health, your salvation, your skills, or your story. God was gracious to you. He made his face shine on you—not because you were worthy, but because Jesus was worthy for you. Through the cross, Jesus took the curse so you could receive the blessing. He was rejected so you could be accepted. He was crushed so you could be raised. He was forgotten so the Father’s face could shine on you forever.
And now? That blessing comes with a purpose. You are not the end of God’s blessing—you’re a living invitation for others to come and know him. So, don’t store it. Steward it. Live like a person who’s been saved by grace and sent with purpose. Use your gifts. Open your hands. Teach your kids. Invite your neighbors. Fund the mission. Go if you’re called—and send if you’re not.
Let’s not waste the blessing. Let’s leverage it—so the world might know the God who saves.
Andrew Hopper
