The introduction to this psalm refers to it as a song but it reads like a prayer. As you participate in worship services you might want to look at the words of the songs you are singing. Many of them are written like this psalm; they are much like prayers set to music. This is also a great way to view our times of worship, as musical prayer sessions.

In this short psalm, the writer wants the whole world to come to know God. And his reasoning is simple; that is the only way everyone can be blessed. His logic is correct. If the whole world knew God and followed His ways, the whole world would be blessed, and His abundance would rain down upon everyone.

The whole world does not know God and most have no desire to know God. And because of their rebellion against their Creator, we all suffer the consequences of a fallen and ruined world that experiences only a fraction of God’s abundant blessing. Our desire should mirror that of the psalmist, that the whole world would know the saving power of God.

We were created to be in an intimate relationship with the Creator God. It is only from within that relationship that we can experience true joy and blessing. Our desire should be like that of the psalmist, that the whole world experiences that intimate relationship. This is the reason we share Jesus with other people, so they can begin this intimate relationship with their God. This is why we go to our neighbors and co-workers. This is why we go to the homeless person or drug addicts. This is why we travel to the ends of the earth. We want the whole world to love their God.

The psalmist knows true peace can only come from people who are in this intimate relationship with their God. We can try to force people to live in peace with military might or political influence. We can try to meet their needs with humanitarian aid. We can try to fill the void in their lives with spiritual things. But until they have a true encounter with the lover of their soul, they will never have peace, their needs will never be met, and they will leave this world spiritually bankrupt.

If you truly love God, then you will want others to know Him as you know Him. Your prayer should be that God would let you be a vessel of His grace into the world around you. Don’t worry about what that means or how you might do that. You just open your heart and mind to the idea that God can use you to reveal Jesus to a lost and dying world. Simply accept the idea that God might want to tell the world about His Son through you.

If you will open your heart and mind to that, God will use you. You won’t have to make it happen; God will make it happen. You will find yourself being used in ways you would never have imagined yourself. And you will experience a joy and peace that surpasses anything you could have imagined. It begins by simply opening your heart to the possibility that God can use you. Jesus, here I am, use me!

Read: Deuteronomy 2:1-3:29; Luke 6:12-38; Psalm 67:1-7; Proverbs 11:27