When I was a little kid, the benediction hymn sang in church very often was The Lord Bless You and Keep You, from the Baptist Hymnal, based on Numbers 6: 24 – 26:
The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord lift his countenance upon you,
and give you peace,
and give you peace.
The Lord make his face to shine upon you,
and be gracious, unto you
and be gracious;
the Lord be gracious, gracious unto you.
Amen.
OK. As a child, I thought it was so beautiful, but I had no idea what it was! So glad that I know what this prayer means now. Grateful for the Lord’s favor upon me. Where would I be … What would I be, without The Lord?
The beauty of this is that it was a blessing & benediction for the people of God! Are you a believer in Jesus, who is the Christ, now?!?! Are you a follower of God?!?! If yes, this means you!
I don’t care what you are facing, you just can’t forget that Our God has His blessings for you. (Read the Word of God and understand this) Our Father’s blessings are poured out.
Think about these things: His face shines upon us, which means evil is destroyed by His presence in our lives – His presence is so real! His countenance lifted upon us means strength and courage; God’s strength is so real! His grace is favor. His shalom (peace, fullness, healthiness, happiness, euphoria); means removal of aggravation; His shalom is a wonderful sight of every single one of God’s blessings for His children!
Call on the Lord and listen completely. Call upon Him to bless you, keep you, lift His countenance upon you, give you peace, make His face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you. It might not happen in the way you want it to or in the time you want it to, but His promises just do not fail.
Father, Your grace and Your love are what keep my mind and my heart at peace. I just have to thank you for granting me the power of Your Holy Spirit because no matter what I’m standing on or facing, I know that all is well. I’ll admit that it hasn’t always gone the way I desired, but I testify with great joy … You have always worked my situations out for the sake of Your glory!! Your grace, Your mercy and Your love are the greatest blessings I’ve ever received and I will praise You always, for the rest of my life!
Loving Christ - Living Christ 