Psalm 67:1-3
May God be gracious to us and bless us. May his face shine on us—so that your way may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations. May the peoples praise you, O God. May the peoples praise you—all of them.
Dear Heavenly Father,
We look forward to Your grace today and Your face shining upon us. In the words of Luther, we ask, “What does this mean?” Perhaps it resembles the videos of families coming together after a long deployment. The faces of the children lit up when they saw their mom or dad after that long deployment, that parent’s face smiling at their children, knowing what this reunion meant for them.
We were separated from You—our Father—because of our sin, and there was nothing we could do to restore ourselves. However, you restored us through Your salvational plan by sending your Son, Jesus. He willingly redeemed us—bought us—from sins bondage, and we receive his redemptive gift through faith, knowing our sins have been entirely washed away with his blood when he suffered and died on the cross.
Like those children of returning parents, we are restored to you, and through faith in Jesus and His salvational work, we receive a complete pardon from all our sins, and we are no longer separated from you.
Please shine on us today through your love, grace, and mercy. We are blessed through You. May we praise You knowing what You have done for us; we give You thanks and praise. May all the peoples praise you, knowing their sins are forgiven, and there is eternal life for them. Please provide us opportunities to share your word with those who do not know the forgiveness Jesus won for them. So they will also be restored through faith and know You are shining upon them. Amen.
Written through Pastor Roger Emmons
God’s message of forgiveness, salvation, and eternal life is meant for all to enjoy; however, it is only received by faith in Him. Because Christ has died and Christ has risen for the world’s sins, Christ will come again. Alleluia!