Thursday: That Your Salvation May Be Known
Daily Lesson for Thursday 29th of May 2025
Read Psalms 67:1-7. How does this hymn of praise inform your understanding of the role of God’s people in Revelation 14:6-12?
Engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have created a new black coating that renders objects painted with it nearly invisible. Created from nanotubes, it is many times darker than any black material previously created. This new material can absorb 99.995 percent of all visible light. Even the brightest light fails to make objects covered in this coating visible.
Image © Review & Herald Publishing from GoodSalt.com
Psalms 67:1-7 begins with an appeal for God to “cause His face to shine upon us, that Your way may be known on earth” (Psalms 67:1-2, NKJV). In the plan of salvation, God has provided a way for sinners to be readmitted to His immediate, glorious presence without being destroyed by His glory; and even now, in this life, the cross of Christ makes it possible for God’s face to shine on us.
But there is more: God intends that we reflect His light to the rest of the world. This was the task given to Israel: the temple was to be a house of prayer for all nations: “ ‘Even them I will bring to My holy mountain, and make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on My altar; for My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations’ ” (Isaiah 56:7, NKJV).
In this psalm, David reminds us that God wants His “way [to] be known on earth, [His] salvation among all nations” (Psalms 67:2, NKJV). Tragically, God’s people have often failed in this task. Israel’s record in the Old Testament contains some dark chapters, as does the record of the Christian church during the past two millennia. It is as if we have painted our hearts with an ultra-dark substance, content to absorb God’s light without reflecting it.
Sometimes, we treat God’s last-day movement as a kind of privileged departure lounge reserved for spiritual frequent flyers, and we seem quite content that the rest of the world must sit in the noisy, uncomfortable gate lounge, unprepared for the journey ahead. The remnant church of Revelation 14:1-20, however, is not content just to stand on Zion with Christ, basking in His presence. Instead, they fly across the face of the earth, urging the world to join them on God’s holy mountain.
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What obligations should we as a church, and as individuals, feel toward teaching others the truths that we love so much? |
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Psalm 67 is missional Psalm where the psalmist desires God’s blessings and His ways not only for Israel but for the whole earth. The Psalmist pleads with God that the whole world might come know and worship Him. It is wonderful to note that the Psalmist is having a global mission in mind. He desires that all the nations of the earth may be blessed God’s grace. “That Your way may be known on earth, Your salvation among all nations” (Psalms 67:2, NKJV). It is very possible that the psalmist has witnessed God’s blessings, and he wanted God to extend the same to all mankind. Is this not truly wonderful that once we have received God’s blessings, we intercede God to bless others? This is the substance of the gospel mission. The whole world should come to know the joy of salvation that we enjoy. Can we be silent and be selfish not share the salvation of Jesus Christ?
As we praise God for both material and spiritual blessings, others should share our blessing too. A blessing shared is a double blessing. It is important to note the spiritual sentiments behind this psalm. At all times we should express our gratitude to God for His blessings. We should not take God’s blessings for granted but we should humbly request for them (Psalm 67:1). We need to understand that God’s blessings have a purpose, and they are far beyond self. They are not an end to themselves but a means by which God will accomplish His divine purpose. Therefore, we should not frustrate God’s divine purpose by being selfish. This psalm has got the great commission (Matthew 28:18–20) and the three angels’ messages (Revelation 14:6-12) are firmly embedded. In our little ways, we should be agents bringing God’s grand plan come to pass. Let us pray:
“Lord, bless me—not for my sake alone, but that your name may be known and praised in all the earth.” - Amen
I first learned about lasers when I was an undergraduate physics student. The theory about their operation was fascinating and I enjoyed coming to an understanding of how they worked. In those days, they cost an arm and a leg and were only found in research laboratories. They were too expensive and fickle to let us undergraduate students play with one.
Some ten years later, when I was teaching physics, lasers became cheap enough and stable enough for schools to be able to afford one, so the school bought one and we were able to do lots of interesting things such as Young's double slit experiment. Nowadays, lasers are so common that we often have no idea we are using them. Even as I type this on my computer, my connection to the Internet is through an optical fibre powered by a laser. Lasers have gone from esoteric theoretical research objects to being a powerful utility on everyday life.
The power of God is often represented as light. We are reminded several times in the Bible of the Glory of God as a shining light, or as lightning (probably the most powerful light known to the ancients) But it is not just the physical brightness that is important, He is the source of Love, justice and mercy. In a world where those values are in short supply, we are asked to be lights for him.
Like the lasers in my illustration, our picture of God must develop from the theoretical and invisible to the utility of every day use to be effective. That is an awesome responsiblity.