“The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace.” –
Numbers 6:24-26
This prayer is the priestly blessing that God asked the priests of Israel to speak over the nation. It is a three-part blessing that invokes the name of the Lord for each blessing.Numbers 6:24-26
• The first invocation is for God’s blessing and protection –
the Lord bless you and keep you.
• The second invocation is for God’s favour and grace –
the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious unto you.
• The third invocation is for God’s approval, and peace –
the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace.
Peace in Hebrew is ‘shalom’. It is an all-embracing word that carries the ideas of wellbeing, security, health and wholeness. Peace in this sense, therefore, is not merely the absence of trouble – it goes further than that. It is experiencing all the fullness that God gives to us.
The blessing of God’s peace is His presence with us.
Having God with us is peace. The scriptures assure us that He is with us wherever we are – in the valley and on the mountain. The Lord has firmly promised to be with us always. When we live our lives with the assurance of His presence, we don’t fret over all the things that threaten us.
The blessing of God’s peace is His protection over us.
The Lord, who watches over us, does not slumber nor sleep. He gives His angels charge over us to keep us. There’s so much danger in our world. But the Lord is our Protector; He keeps us when we’re not even aware of the dangers facing us. Have you ever thought of all the dangers the Lord protects you from in a single day? We go through each day peacefully because the Lord is our keeper; He protects us.
The blessing of God’s peace is His provision for us.
God’s peace includes all the things He gives us to live a full life. The Lord Jesus encouraged us to go to God, our Father, with requests for our daily bread. Each day, the Lord makes provision for all that we will need for our wellbeing. We can trust Him to provide for all that we need according to His riches in glory.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank You for Your presence, protection and provision for my life. In Jesus’ Name, Amen!Scripture Reading:
Numbers 6:22-27
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