In Numbers 6, God instructs Moses how the priests should bless the Israelites: ^22-23God spoke to Moses: “Tell Aaron and his sons, this is how you are to bless the People of Israel. Say to them, ²⁴God bless you and keep you, ²⁵God smile on you and gift you, ²⁶God look you full in the face and make you prosper. ²⁷In so doing, they will place my name on the People of Israel—I will confirm it by blessing them.”

Wow, what a wonderful blessing and promise God gave directly to people. Unfortunately, we forgot this prayer blessing and do not speak to one another anymore.

Fortunately, Paul did not forget it and starts and ends almost all of his 13 letters by blessing the readers of his letters. Like he does here in verse: ²⁷In so doing, they will place my name on the People of Israel—I will confirm it by blessing them.”

By praying this blessing, God is entreated to go with those who hear it – and more than that: God is entreated to protect them and to take care of them. God is requested to keep His arms around them so that they will tangibly experience his presence.

Grace and peace are evident in Paul’s prayer blessing. And what more would one need? We receive heaps and heaps of grace every day. And peace too. Unfortunately, we ourselves change that peace into conflict.

What I also notice in this conversation between God and Moses is that God responds when we bless one another. He will ensure that it will go well with the recipients of the blessing.

What a wonderful instrument this is. We must pick it up again and use it, because it has awesome power. We must realise what a difference we can make in the lives of other people by blessing them with God’s blessing. Not because of our doing, but because of His.

We must believe and trust again that God will keep his part of the promise.

Let’s make a point of it to bless people with God’s blessing when we greet them. Go through God’s Word and find all the blessings, and ask the Holy Spirit to give you the blessing with which you have to greet others.

And that is why I want to greet you with a blessing today: May God put his arms around you today and bless you abundantly. May the crisis on the horizon disappear like mist before the sun. May his grace fill you and may it overflow to every one you meet today. May you feel love wherever you go. May God truly be good to you and may you overflow with gratitude.

And I believe like a child that this will come true. Amen – let it be so!

Scripture
2 Tim 4:19-22

Reflection
Do you believe in God’s blessings?
Do you speak those blessings to others?
Who do you have to bless?

Prayer
Lord, please keep me and bless me and teach me how to be a blessing to others. Amen.