IS IT SELFISH TO ASK GO TO BLESS US?

Well I held off as long as I could.  I tried (not too hard) but I could not hold out one more day so I started playing Christmas music today.  Now it is not that I am for the commercialization of Christmas.  I hate that.  But I love Christmas.  I love the fact that Christmas, for the Christian, is the celebration of the coming of Jesus - the LONG awaited Messiah and Savior.  I love the fact that God’s Grace is seen in such a humble package.  I love the fact that God’s blessings were poured out on sinful desperately needy world in the poorest of circumstances.  So imagine Nat King Cole singing O Little Town of Bethlehem or Manheim Steam Roller playing Silent Night in the background as you read these verses today.  

Psalm 67:1-2 (HCS)  May God be gracious to us and bless us; look on us with favor so that Your way may be known on earth, Your salvation among all nations.

As I was meditating on this Psalm this morning I was moved by the SO THAT part of these verses.  We all long for God to be gracious to us to bless us and to pour out His Favor on us.  But this Psalm gives the reason WHY we should pray like this.  We want God to do this so that others may see that God’s WAY is the ONLY WAY.  We want others to see that God has spoken and that salvation comes ONLY from God - and ONLY on His terms.  God told Abraham that through him all the nations of the earth would be blessed.  This Psalm is calling for God’s blessings and favor as an object lesson for others to see the goodness of God.  The point is not to enjoy God’s blessings and keep them for ourselves.  We are to enjoy God’s grace and favor poured out on us so that we can invite others to enjoy God’s Grace and Favor as well.  It is not a me first selfish kind of prayer.  This is a prayer that says as You are blessing me I will BLESS others with what YOU have given.  

PRAYER: Lord God please pour out Your grace and favor on us.  May we see Your blessings clearly SO THAT  You may be KNOWN.  Not just by us personally, but by the whole Open Door Bible Church Family, by our neighbors and friends in Belton, Raymore, Peculiar, and Grandview.  Lord God make your SALVATION known through us!