Life

Clergy/Leaders’ Mail-list No. 1-116 Sunday 24 Jun 2001

Reading: PSALM 66 – CELEBRATING GOD IN OUR NATIONAL LIFE

(From ‘Encounter with God’ Bible Reading Notes)

‘Jesus Christ, Saviour and Lord of humankind, I lift to you all the nations of the world today, including my own. May we know you and learn to worship you, the one true God.’

A national deliverance is always a cause of celebration. More so, if the deliverance is attributed to the awesome, mysterious workings of God.

I remember how my husband David and I marched, sang, prayed, shouted and danced along with a huge crowd during the ‘People Power Revolution’ in 1986 that toppled the twenty year rule of dictatorship in the Philippines. It was peaceful, bloodless and even festive. Since then, political analysts have attributed the sudden fall of Ferdinand Marcos to other factors. But we Christians believed it was God who toppled him. So I can fully empathise with the exuberance of this psalm. The nation of Israel is bursting with jubilant worship and joyful singing after a national deliverance. The king himself sets the mood for this celebration.

The mood is invitational.

All peoples, not only the people of God, are urged to join in this happy occasion of honouring God (vs 1,4). After all, God’s eyes are on all nations (v 7). This implies that God’s victory in Israel has a universal application. In his own way and time, he will hold sway over all peoples and his justice and righteousness will prevail (vs 9-12).

The mood is reflective.

This happy day is not the first time that God has acted in an awesome way. Israel had already experienced his mighty deeds in the past – difficult to understand, but gloriously liberating in the end.

The mood is personal (vs 13-20).

Communal, even national worship of God has its own special appeal. However, it is only meaningful when the individuals involved have themselves experienced God at work in their lives. The king’s behaviour here shows that he has had this kind of experience, belying the idea that the leader’s personal life has nothing to do with his public duties.

Think of three recent occasions when you believe God has intervened to change the life of your country.

– Evelyn Miranda-Feliciano

Copyright Scripture Union, 2001