Tag: #theblessing

Childlike Wonder

by Angela K. Crow-Mitchell

A vibrant spiritual life stems from listening to God—not just with our ears but with our whole being—mind, body, spirit, and soul—without presumptions or expectations and being open to the Holy Spirit’s presence.

The more we abide in His presence, the more we realize our gifts. Then, our posture resembles Mary’s when she anointed Jesus’s feet (John 12:3, ESV), and our attitude is full of gratitude. All of this plays a vital role in our intimate relationship with God.

Do you grasp that God fully knows and loves you? To do so, we must take intentional steps toward God and fully engage in His presence, listening with our whole being and dedicating precious time to Him.

God leads us like a father caressing his child’s hand. He is always with us, whether through a meadow of vivid wildflowers or a treacherous valley. As a father lifts a child onto his shoulders to see over the crowds, our Father gently lifts us above our troubles, for an eternal view, to rise above them as He carries us on wings like eagles (Is. 40:31) and shelters us under His mighty wing (Ps. 91:4) when storms rise. From this perspective, we can persevere.

Watch for Him in every flower, storm, and face of others.  We can change that bad habit, attitude, and how we interact with others by recognizing our shortcomings and asking God for help as we approach Him in childlike wonder with open hearts and hands. God showers us with grace – as we take intentional steps toward Him, seeking to be more like Jesus.

When we genuinely seek and follow Christ, God rejoices over us with gladness and personally delights in us, bursting forth in joyful celebration, He exults over us with loud singing (Zeph. 3:17). Take a moment to think about this. What song do you think God sings over you? I think of Aaron’s prayer and song, The Blessing.

“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 toward you and give you peace” (Numbers 6:24-26, emphasis added)—a long-time favorite of mine.

May we all look at God in awe daily, with childlike wonder, humility, and trust.

“Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 18:3-4, emphasis added).

“Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place – the Most High, who is my refuge – no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways (of obedience and service)” (Ps. 91:9-11, emphasis added).

The Blessing

by Angela K. Crow-Mitchell

On this day of Thanksgiving, I am reminded of two songs. We Gather Together is a 17th-century Dutch song I remember singing in elementary school, along with The Blessing, with the lyrics taken directly from the Bible. The words to the first song below seem to set up the intentions of the second perfectly.

We gather together to ask the Lord’s blessing; He chastens and hastens his will to make known. The wicked oppressing now cease from distressing. Sing praises to his name; he forgets not his own.

With this in mind, take a moment to listen to The Blessing – let the words wash over you and sink into your heart.

“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; (V 26) the Lord lift his countenance upon you and give you peace.” (Numbers 6:24-26, English Standard Version, Emphasis mine)

Aaron’s priestly blessing shows God’s will to bless every Israelite. The ESV Study Bible denotes that this blessing engraved on a silver amulet is the earliest archaeological discovery, having the covenantal name of God (Yahweh), found in a Judean tomb dating back to the seventh or sixth century B.C.

Let us look at the meaning of each verse: The Lord blesses us by giving good harvests, peace, children, and his presence (Lev. 26:3-13). ‘Keep’ means to guard or protect. His face shines upon you in God’s presence, like sunshine (Ps. 19:1-11). A shining face is a smiling face, a pledge of God’s good favor (Ps. 80:3, 7, 19, ESV). The countenance is the expression on one’s face. The Study Bible says that for God to lift His face, He must treat people favorably. Peace or shalom means total well-being.

This led me to Daniel 9, which provides the same model of repentance and prayer along with this blessing. Daniel prayed a prayer of adoration, then a confession on behalf of himself and his people (9:4). Daniel asked God to show favor, make His face shine upon him, and bring exile to an end. Not because of his righteousness but because of God’s commitment to glorify His name (9:17). If we read further, Daniel received an answer from God through an angel named Gabriel. Still, I want us to pay attention to this: he confessed his sin and the sin of his people, presenting a plea to God and asking for His blessing.

As we gather to give thanks, I want you to know how thankful I am for each of you. I pray that you will receive God’s blessing and remember to thank Him every day for the blessing of Jesus Christ – the reason for the upcoming season – not only today but every day.

Be kind. Be safe. Be blessed.