Two-minute read.
The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.
Numbers 6:24-26
Moses uses singular pronouns when speaking to the entire community. By blessing the individual, God blesses the whole. As Christ’s followers, when we receive the Lord’s blessing, He wants us to share it with those around us, blessing the entire community. “And keep you” refers to the Creator’s preservation of His followers as we devote our lives to Him. With the divine gifts we receive, we pass them along to our flock, sharing the Lord’s provision with all.
When Moses spent time on Mt. Sinai with the Lord, it caused his face to shine so brightly that he had to cover it. By asking the Lord to make His face shine upon the people, Moses wants God’s people to know His presence. The Lord comes with grace, revealing mercy, which brings light into our lives as we receive His gifts. Mountaintop experiences connect us with the Creator in an energizing and exhilarating way that helps us survive the valleys we encounter.
Shalom, the Hebrew word for peace, means the positive state of rightness and fullness of well-being that comes only from the Lord. Only with a divine connection can we experience divine peace. By submitting our lives entirely to God, we will discover the peace that surpasses all understanding, carrying us through the storms we face.
And so, as the Lord blesses and keeps us, making His face shine upon us with grace and giving us His peace, may we share our divine gifts with everyone we meet, becoming lights in the darkness to those who need them.
Prayer:
Lord, thank You for blessing and preserving our lives as we strive to follow You. Please let Your face shine upon us, allowing Your light to shine brightly through us to the world around us. Let us become vessels of grace and mercy to all we meet as we receive Your divine gifts and share them with all.
IJNIP. Amen
