A Blessing on God’s People
BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY… “The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace.”’ Numbers 6:24-26 NKJV
(I am borrowing an alteration for these well known verses from my friend Cavin Harper of the Christian Grandparenting Network.)
This blessing is known as the Aaronic or High Priestly blessing. The Lord’s promise to His priests was, “So they shall put My name on the children of Israel, and I will bless them.” (Numbers 6:27 NKJV) Let’s take a closer look at what is involved in this concise but powerful blessing pronounced over God’s people.
First we see a declaration of God’s protection. One of the greatest declarations of God’s protection is God “as keeper.” “The LORD is your keeper: the LORD is your shade on your right hand.” (Psalm 121:5 NIV) “…for the LORD will be at your side and will keep your foot from being snared.” (Proverbs 3:26 NIV)
One of the greatest sources of comfort is the Lord is with you and you are safe. The psalmist declares,
“The Lord is on my side; I will not fear.” (Psalm 118:6 NKJV) “The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in; From this time forth, and even forevermore.” (Psalm 121:8 NKJV)
We see a declaration of God’s pleasure. We can live with confidence that we are under the umbrella of God’s smile. The Lord’s “shining face” and His gracious acts reveal God’s pleasure. When someone looks you in the eye and gives you their full attention, it communicates value.
Finally we see God’s presence and peace. I recall the story of a young child who was afraid of the storm in the middle of the night. His father came into his room to comfort him. The child asked, “Dad are you there?” His father responded, “I am here.” The child asked, “Are you looking my way?” His father said, “Yes, son, I’m looking your way.”
I think of that when I read, “The Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.” The Lord is not only present but He gives us His full attention. He is looking our way. God’s peace is available to His people and is one of the most important promises and reassurances that we find in His Word.
When we hear this blessing, let’s be reminded of God’s protection, God’s pleasure and God’s peace. Remember we can not only be a recipient of God’s blessing, but a bestower of God’s blessing toward others.
Prayer for today…. Lord thank You for the reminder of your protection, pleasure and peace each time we hear these ancient words. Let us take heart in what You are to us and enable us to be channels of Your blessing to others.