“Lean In” - Psalm 67 (Day 4)
This week's time inside Psalm 67 has expanded our worldview while challenging our concept of a faith lived out. Every day, all around us, we are confronted with brokenness. We see needs in our neighborhood, our city, and our world. We may even feel a nudge to get involved, to do something and take action, but fear, doubt, and feelings of inadequacy win out. Some of us allow our convenience, comfort, and complacency to justify our inactivity. We shrink back, turn away, and hope someone else will rise to the occasion. But, Christ asks you and me to play a vital part in healing our culture. So, before we begin, I want to provide space for you to pause and consider your response to the brokenness you see in the world. Then, spend a moment praying to God, asking Him to enlarge your heart to respond to the needs around you.
Talking about the love and compassion of Christ falls on deaf ears if it doesn't become visible in our actions. There's no point in sharing about Christ's sacrifice if we're unwilling to share our lives. An encounter with Christ's love should lead us to humble action and an others-focused inclination. A collision with his compassion spurs us on to echo the words found in Psalm 67.
Psalm 67 says this:
1 May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine on us—
2 so that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations.
3 May the peoples praise you, God; may all the peoples praise you.
4 May the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you rule the peoples with equity and guide the nations of the earth.
5 May the peoples praise you, God; may all the peoples praise you.
6 The land yields its harvest; God, our God, blesses us.
7 May God bless us still, so that all the ends of the earth will fear him.
Take a moment to reflect on what you read:
In a divided and broken world, what makes this prayer a revolutionary one?
For the nations to be blessed, it requires us to get involved. If we don't lean in to understand, we turn away and ignore it, robbing others of encountering and experiencing Christ’s love and care. We look for things that entertain or distract us and provide temporary relief from the jarring issues. This reaction is a defense mechanism. It serves as a way to protect our hearts. But, rather than guarding our hearts, indifference damages them. We naturally drift towards indifference because of our capacity to care. We hope our hearts will grow, and then we will display empathy. But, compassion begins when we start to care. Compassion is a quality that must be cultivated and only takes root when we take action. Concern expands our capacity to care. When our heart breaks with the compassion of our God seen in the Gospel, our souls expand to match this growing concern.
Take a moment and consider…How are you cultivating compassion inside your heart so that influences the world around you?
Read today’s passage slowly one more time.
Psalm 67 says this:
1 May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine on us—
2 so that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations.
3 May the peoples praise you, God; may all the peoples praise you.
4 May the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you rule the peoples with equity and guide the nations of the earth.
5 May the peoples praise you, God; may all the peoples praise you.
6 The land yields its harvest; God, our God, blesses us.
7 May God bless us still, so that all the ends of the earth will fear him.
The significant issues facing our world require influential people. Unfortunately, many of us don't see ourselves in this way. We think if we can barely handle our affairs, how could we possibly tackle and take on those significant issues? We feel entirely inadequate and overwhelmed. We don't know how to begin, where to start, and what we could do to make a difference. We convince ourselves that we don't have what it takes to make an impact.
But, what if our gifts, experiences, and passions are precisely enough? Maybe God only needs the little we have to make big things happen if we only lean in and start somewhere - and the good news is we don't have to look far. There are our friends, family members, co-workers, and neighbors. Caring starts by simply showing up and being present. Relationships can't flourish at a distance; they require proximity and investment displayed over time. The well-known adage holds that "people don't care how much you know until they know how much you care." People don't always need a sermon but always yearn for others to show up, and we all can take that step.
So, as we begin to wrap up our time together, we want to provide you some space to respond to what we read and maybe to what God is trying to say to you through Psalm 67. First, take a moment to process this question…Where are you reluctant to step out in courage and faith to the needs you see?
Another question to consider is this…What would it look like for you to lean into this issue and bring God’s love to it in response?
PRAYER
Father God,
Give me eyes to see the needs around me so that I can show up in these places.
When my heart breaks over the state of the world, may I lean in to help rather than turn away and ignore.
Instead of hiding, may I look for ways to help.
Allow me the courage to trust that You are doing something in me so you can do something through me. In Your name, Jesus. Amen.