Blessing


"Then the Lord said to Moses,'Tell Aaron and his sons to bless the people of Israel with this special blessing: May the Lord bless you and protect you. May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord show you his favor and give you his peace. Whenever Aaron and his sons bless the people of Israel in my name, I myself will bless them." Numbers 6:22-27

On the eve of my wedding day, my father gave me the greatest gift a son can receive. The rehearsal dinner was coming to an end and my dad stood up to speak. In just a few short minutes, he gave me what every son longs for from his father - his blessing. Publicly, he claimed me as his own. He honored my choices with his approval and spoke confidently of my ability to see them through. He gave me wings.

God knew how important blessing was and is. Out of love, he wanted to give his blessing to his people. He chose to use the visible and audible blessing of the priests to be the transport for his blessing of his protection, his smile, his grace, his favor, and his peace. This blessing was special. Only God could give it to them. Amazingly, it was refreshed each and every time the priests spoke it over them.

We may not know it, but we are all longing for this blessing. To know God is both with us and for us means everything when we feel the walls of this life closing in around us. May the Lord bless you and protect you. May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord show you his favor and give you his peace. Amen.    

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