Blessed!

Blessed!

The Lord bless thee, and keep thee:  The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace. Numbers 6:24‭-‬26 KJV

The words above are usually read as the final benediction in services just before the people leave. It is quite important to look at the foundation on which these words are set. Let's look at the verses just before today's extract, while we highlight some of the key words: The LORD commanded Moses to tell Aaron and his sons to use the following words in blessing the people of Israel.

That is the context. First, the instruction came directly from the Lord. If the Lord has blessed you, who is the person that can curse you? As it has been succinctly put, who can speak and it come to pass when the Lord has not decreed it? It then means that if the Lord has said it, you are settled on that matter for the rest of your life. It then also means that you will do well to get a word from God for your life. In the midst of these distressing and sad circumstances, it is important to find anchor for your soul, and nothing, not even a fat bank account balance, can save on the day of trouble. You need a Word from God. 

Secondly, from God's perspective, it wasn't a negotiation, but a command. It is one thing for God to give advice or counsel, and it is another for Him to give a command. When he commands, the whole of heaven sets out to carry out his command. His authority brooks no opposition, as Lucifer found out to His detriment. When He commands, who can resist? 

Thirdly, it is important to consider who is to pronounce the blessing: Aaron and his sons. These were the men who had been given the mandate of priesthood, to bear sacrifices for the people and intercede on their behalf before God. It means that the priests stood as the representatives of the people before God, pleading their cause. That position of authority and responsibility is the basis of their power to stand and make this pronouncements upon the people of Israel. And I consider myself a priest of the Most High as provided in 1 Peter 2:9: But you are the chosen race, the King's priests, the holy nation, God's own people... I am authorised by virtue of my appointment as a priest to stand and make the same pronouncement over my own life and family. 

God's desire has always been to bless His own. He does not create people for which He has no use, unless I decide to resist Him to the end of my life. His mercies are new every morning, and it is because of His mercies that we are not consumed. If God then decides he wants to bless me, why would I refuse? If I know the value of the blessing, why would I reject it? In fact, he generally sends his rain on all men, good or evil, but there is a special place in His heart for those who have surrendered to Him, who are His own, and have accepted Him as Lord and Saviour. Am I truly surrendered or still struggling for some form of identity? 

And as I read today's extract, it is clear that I take special place in God's heart. His focus is on me. It is as if in the midst of the crowd, He singles me out for special attention. It is as if even in the crowd, He sees me as an individual and distinct entity from every other person around me. After all, the fact that I have fingerprints different from any other person on the face of the earth shows how special I am. And God does not need to divide a blessing into 7 million parts for me to get a share; he has resources that are inexhaustible. No demand on earth can exhaust the resources of heaven. No matter what the world throws at me, as long as it meets me in God, I am safe. 

So I stand today and repeat the words to myself and to all who are connected to me: The Lord bless me and you, and keep me and you: The Lord make his face shine upon me and you, and be gracious unto me and you: The Lord lift up his countenance upon me and you, and give me and you peace. I have and will continue to claim mine; what of you? Remember the circumstances that allow you to claim them. His time of favour is here.