The Lord bless you and keep you! (Numbers 6:24)
A young boy returning to school after the holidays was
asked if he liked his new class. “No,” he answered. “There must be
something you like,” his parents prodded. “Nothing.” “Can’t you think of
one good thing?” “Leaving at the end of the day” was all he could
muster.
Sometimes we are like that young boy; we’d rather stay in
the past than move forward to an unknown future, even if that future is
full of potential. The Israelites acted no differently during their
journey to the Promised Land. Scripture tells us that they complained
often, even wanting to return to slavery in Egypt. So God sought to
encourage them, as we see in this beautiful prayer of blessing.
What
did this blessing mean for God’s people? Well, it wasn’t a guarantee of
automatic victory over all their enemies—but neither did it require
them to be perfect. No, it was an indiscriminate blessing, meant to tell
the people that God would be with them no matter what they faced.
We
too are on a journey, and as this new year unfolds, we will undoubtedly
meet with good fortune as well as challenging obstacles. But no matter
what comes our way, one thing will be constant: God’s blessing. In
victory or defeat, in confidence or instability, we can still know our
Father’s presence, his wisdom, and his guidance.
Mary is a perfect
example of one who relied on God’s blessing. When a sword pierced her
soul at Calvary, when her Son was ridiculed and beaten, and even when he
ascended to heaven and left her alone, Mary remained full of grace
because she continued to trust in God’s providence. So as this year
opens, choose to be like Mary, and surrender yourself to the Lord. If
you look closely enough, you will find God’s blessings wherever you go!
“Father, I dedicate this year to you. I trust in all the blessings you have in store for me.”
from
wau.org
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