Psalm 67:7

Psalm 67:7

The ends of the earth will fear Him

This Psalm has been a delightful little interlude but, sadly, we have to move on to new pastures! It ends with a further hope that God will continue to bless His people, for whilst the context has generally been about the present, His abundant care and provision are something to hope for in the future. However, the underlying purpose of God’s blessings has not changed – “so that all the ends of the earth will fear Him.” 

In the late 19th Century and for most of the 20th Century Christian missionaries took the Good News about Jesus Christ to all four corners of the earth. Bibles were translated into every language imaginable, and churches were planted in the most pagan of places. As a child I remember regular missionary evenings where men and women came to share their experiences of preaching the Gospel in foreign lands. Young and eager candidates were commissioned to go to the far-off continents of the world to tell others of the greatness of our God. Most of the “giving” from local chapels and churches was direct to these endeavours and part of the motivation for all of this was that “all the ends of the earth might fear Him.” Today, these pioneers fulfil more humanitarian functions than they do the evangelisation of godless nations. May God bless them whatever their function.

My problem is that I do not believe that the pagan world can look any longer at countries like America and Gt Britain and see that God blesses us still! We have moved away from His blessing by denying Him and His commands. Now we are no different to all the rest. Those who do know and love the Lord, however, may still know His blessing and may the world around us be able to see it and fear Him as a consequence! 

 

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