Tag: God’s smile
Week 25–Day 1–An Ancient Blessing
Scripture reading for June 15: Numbers 6:23-27 “Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, Thus you shall bless the people of Israel: you shall say to them, ‘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.’ So shall they put My Name upon the people of Israel and I will bless them.”
God always desires to bless His people and He is the source of all blessing on earth and in heaven. The word for blessing means to be highly favored and showered with good gifts that come through covenant relationship with God the source of all blessing. One of the blessings of God include a good wife or husband that brings you joy and children. God blesses those who work with increase. Rain is a blessing and seeds multiplying thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold are blessings. He blesses our food and water so that we have nourishment and a safe food and health in our bodies. (Exodus 23:25-26) Flocks and herds multiply and give milk and meat and fruit trees and vineyards produce harvests. Peace is a blessing promised by Jesus Christ. (John 16:33)
God instructed Aaron and his sons in the priesthood to bless His people by speaking a blessing over them. Since God is not a man that He should lie, everything He commands is true and will come to pass. The first phrase of this blessing simply states that the Lord will bless you and in the process of that blessing He will keep you from all harm and provide all you need for life and godliness. The next phase of this blessing declares God’s smiling countenance lifted up over you. The idea is that God is rejoicing over you and smiling with joy, giving you His peace. This blessing was to put God’s Name on His people, marking them as objects of His extreme blessing in His forever family.
As responders who represent God’s blessing to those we are sent to, we can rejoice at God’s blessing of us as well as others. As you go to an incident, picture God lifted up over you and His smile radiating approval and love, giving you peace. Better yet, in the New Covenant, Jesus is present with us in the Holy Spirit indwelling us with His joy and peace. Let it flow from you to others by the smile on your face! Amen.
Day 5–Blessing of Peace
Scripture reading for March 13: 2 Thessalonians 3:16 “Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all.”
Numbers 6:23-26 “The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Thus you shall bless the people of Israel: you shall say to them, 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. So shall they put My Name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them.””
In the days of Moses, God’s presence was with His people in the form of a cloud of glory by day and a cloud of fire by night. When Moses went up on Mount Sinai to receive God’s law, the mountain was covered in clouds and fire. There was lightning and rumbles of thunder. The people were told not to even touch the mountain or they would die. This presence of God was meant to bring comfort and assurance to God’s people, but instead caused great fear of punishment and awareness of their guilt. God instructed Aaron to bless His people and assure them of His smiling face and gracious heart for them. They were to picture God’s smile shining on them and His peace resting on them. Through that spoken blessing, God’s Name would rest on them and they would be blessed.
But God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to bring true peace to mankind. Through faith in Jesus, God, Himself gives us His peace. Paul prayed for the Thessalonians (and us) that God would give us His peace at all times and in every way we might have need of it. He prayed that the peace would come from the Lord’s presence with us all. Let this simple prayer and declaration of faith bring you the blessing today. Then go forth to bring peace to each place you find yourself in.
Prayer: “Peace to the brothers, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with you all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible.” (Ephesians 6:23-24) Amen.
Our Father’s Smiling Face
Scripture Reading for February 12th: Numbers 5-8
Everyone loves a blessing! Blessing assures us of something good coming our way that costs us nothing and that sometimes is the opposite of what we really deserve. God’s grace is a blessing to us who really deserve His wrath and punishment. As a pastor, I have often spoken the Aaronic blessing found in Numbers 6:22-27 “The Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron and his sons, ‘This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them: “The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn His face towards you and give you peace.” ‘ “So they will put my name on the Israelites and I will bless them.”“
This was God telling His priests how to speak a blessing over God’s people. He wants them to experience His provision and protection. He wants them to enjoy peace with Him and with each other. He wants to be in their midst, enjoying their love and fellowship. He promises to provide for their needs cheerfully. He gives them His Name, rich with provision and power and comfort. He desires to forgive their sins and restore each one to His family. There is joy and peace in Father’s House seeing His smiling Face!
Think of someone with a smile that radiates love, warmth and acceptance. My mother had that kind of smile! God is telling us that His face is smiling at us and His grace is being poured out on us. When He is looking at us and smiling, we have peace that passes understanding. God is not angry with His people when they come to Him for forgiveness, fellowship and favors. This pleasing doesn’t come from our perfect behavior, but in spite of our sin and rebellion! Jesus Christ has pleased the Father by His perfect obedience. When we trust in Christ and believe on Him, we are given a gift of right standing and the smile of God’s face can be turned toward us! May the Lord bless and keep you today, may His face smile lovingly on you and your family! May His peace fill your lives! May His name be upon you!
Do you picture God the Father with a smile or a frown as He sees you? Have you responded to His invitation to come to Jesus? Do you know someone in your family or among your friends that needs a smile or blessing today? Let’s reflect God’s smile in our world!
A legacy to remember!
Scripture reading for May 13th: Nehemiah 11-13
“Remember me for this, O my God, and do not blot out what I have so faithfully done for the house of my God and its services.” Nehemiah 13:14
It is a great honor to have God’s smile of approval for the deeds a person has done! Others have had a record of their accomplishments but God called them “evil” and wrote them down as a bad examples! Let’s look at Nehemiah’s last four prayers of petition to the Lord, see his heart, and learn why God answered his prayers with favor!
Nehemiah asked to be remembered for cleansing the temple of Tobiah the Ammonite, who Eliashib the priest had given a room in the temple. (Nehemiah 13:1-2,7-9) Nehemiah also found out that the Levites had not received their portion of the tithes and therefore had to return to secular work. He rebuked the officials who had allowed this and ordered the Levites back to work in the temple. He reminded the people to bring their tithes into the storehouse and replenish the storerooms that had gone empty. He knew that they needed to bring their tithes into the temple for their own worship and good! Faithfulness to God’s house will always be rewarded!
“Then I commanded the Levites to purify themselves and go and guard the gates in order to keep the Sabbath day holy. Remember me for this also, O my God, and show mercy to me according to your great love.” Nehemiah 13:22
Nehemiah rebuked the people for doing business on the Sabbath, closed the gates, and warned those bringing goods to remove them on the Sabbath. (Nehemiah 13:12-18) He was concerned that God’s wrath would come upon the people for their disrespect of God’s commandment.
“Remember them, O my God, because they defiled the priestly office and the covenant of the priesthood and of the Levites.” Nehemiah 13:29 “Remember me with favor, O my God.” Nehemiah 13:30b
The last recorded deed of Nehemiah was his dealing with mixed marriages in Judah and the priesthood. (Nehemiah 13:25) He made them swear not to give their daughters or allow their sons to marry outside the nation of faith. Wise leaders take action! In doing so, they are “remembered with favor” by the Lord! Let Nehemiah’s example inspire your efforts today!