Two-Minute Manna

Psalm 67 swings on the hinge of the first word of verse 2: That. “Bless us God,” the psalmist writes, “That Thy way may be known upon the earth.” In other words, “Bless us, God, so that we, in turn, might be a blessing.”

So many teachings center on how we can be healthy, wealthy, or happy - as if health, wealth, and happiness were ends in themselves. God does want to bless us, but the purpose is that all the earth may be brought to Him. This was God’s intention all along for the people of Israel. They were chosen to be a blessing, a light to all the nations . . .

I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.

Isaiah 49:6

“I’m choosing you, Israel, that you might be a light unto the nations, that they might see in you My beauty, My reality, and be drawn to Me,” God said. The Jews were to be looking out, reaching out to a world that was lost in darkness. They were to be a light, a witness of who God is. But they lost sight of this calling. In fact, they eventually began to view Gentiles as simply fuel to keep hell hot. They had no compassion for the Gentiles and, as a result, turned inward. As they did, things began to sour.

The same thing can happen to us. Like Israel, we can begin to turn inward. We can lose our desire to share our faith. And, I know from experience, that when I stop sharing my faith, I tend to turn inward and become dry.

In the north of Israel lies the Sea of Galilee. It teems with life. But in the south, there is another body of water: the Dead Sea. There’s no life there. Why? In the Sea of Galilee, there is inflow and outflow. The Jordan River comes in and flows through. In the Dead Sea, however, although there is an inflow, there is no outflow. Consequently, the saline content of the water has built up to the point where nothing can grow. The same thing can be true of us spiritually. If you feel like the Dead Sea, it could very well be because there is not an outflow in your life.

If I’m not looking for people to reach out to, I miss my calling, my purpose, and suddenly, my walk is dry. Bible study will be boring. Prayer will be meaningless. Devotion will be nonexistent. Praise will be an effort. But when I say, “Lord, bless me so I can go to work and share the Gospel, so that I can tell someone he’s loved by You,” suddenly my prayer life will have purpose, the Word will come alive, and praise will overflow once again.