Cause His Face to Shine

Henry Francis Lyte spent his working life as minister of a fishing town on the Devon coast, writing for a congregation who would never read the psalms as poetry unless somebody made them singable. He put Psalm 67 into four verses opening God of mercy, God of grace, show the brightness of thy face. He is remembered now for a hymn from the end of his life, as his lungs failed and he left that parish: Abide with me.

The psalm's opening line, God be merciful unto us, and bless us, was already borrowed when the psalmist borrowed it. It is the blessing Aaron and his sons were told to say over Israel: The LORD bless thee, and keep thee: The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee. A priest's word, spoken down over the people, picked up by them and sent back up as a request.

Verse two turns the prayer outward before you have finished enjoying verse one. That thy way may be known upon earth, thy saving health among all nations. The blessing is asked as a means, and what follows is not about Israel: O let the nations be glad and sing for joy. The psalm ends where it was heading. God shall bless us; and all the ends of the earth shall fear him.

Pray it with its reason attached, then. God be merciful unto us, and bless us, and cause thy face to shine upon us, so that your way is known where we live, among people who never asked for it. Give us enough that the giving shows, and count us in among the nations you are glad to make glad.

Daily Manna runs on a two-year cycle. The year one reading for day 133 is Preserved Forever (Psalm 12:7).

All 365 readings in Daily Manna, Year Two