“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.”- Numbers 6:24-26 (ESV)
As John Ortberg concludes Chapter 13 of Soul Keeping, he observes that we are “acutely sensitive to our souls being blesses or being cursed.” The reason we are so sensitive, Dallas Willard explains, is because our souls were made to be blessed and cannot survive without that blessing.
Pastor Ortberg adds that blessing takes time and that receiving a blessing is as much an art as bestowing one. Blessing-giving is asymmetrical, not a type of barter. Blessing-giving is grace. The Aaronic Benediction is a model of blessing-giving.
1. “The Lord bless you . . .”: May the Lord constantly bring good into your life.
2. “The Lord . . . keep you”: The sacrificial love and care Jesus poured out on the cross guards all that is sacred and precious about us.
3. “The Lord make his face to shine upon you.” Dallas Willard encourages us- “Your face was made to shine. Glory always shines. Glory was meant to be shared.”
4. The Lord lift his countenance upon you . . .”: When we lift up a countenance, we are letting someone know that we are fully present. We are giving of ourselves.
5. “And give you peace.” The soul feels its worth through unthreatened, undisturbed peace.
Today’s question: How have you been a blessing to others during your desert, transitional journey? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “Soul- satisfaction”
