The Blessing

“The Lord bless you and keep you;
     the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;
     the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.”

                                 Numbers 6:24-26  ESV

These words of blessing were originally given to Moses’ brother Aaron for the people of Israel.  But I believe we can still receive them today through Jesus Christ.  In Genesis 12 the LORD said to Abram, “I will bless you and… you will be a blessing…  and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

In this greatest of all blessings notice the words, “The Lord bless you and keep you”.

To bless means to impart special favor.  The love, joy and peace that you and I most deeply desire.  Under his blessing you are filled with a calm confidence that God will provide for you – all of you – body, soul and spirit.  But God doesn’t just get us started.  He promises to “keep you”, to sustain you, protect you and guard you to the end.

“The Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you”.

It’s like God is happy to see you, his face lights up when he looks at you.  He is willing and able to help.  He is “gracious” and generous with gifts, not wages.  You’re not in a business transaction with him – he’s fathering you, flooding you with benefits from his divine heart.  He takes pride in how he treats us – this all ties to his glory and honor in the coming ages.

“The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace”.

The Lord turns and gives us his full attention.  He places his name and presence upon us.  We receive spiritual peace and tranquility that surpass our thinking.

You may have to fight for it some days, but if you stand by faith – the blessing of God is already upon you through Father, Son and Holy Spirit.