Reflection
Among the decorations in my babies’ room was a delicate blue, oval plaque that simply read: bless. Ironic how such a simple word seems possessed with so much power. Laced through the epic Bible story this little word describes how God loves to deal with his covenant people. He loves to lavish them with favour and relationship: with material blessings (the Old Testament emphasis) and with spiritual blessings (the New Testament emphasis). To Moses, God gave a model of how his goodwill could be gifted to his people. The priests were to declare: May the LORD bless, protect, show grace…and give you his peace. So, bless, over my sleeping babies was a reminder of God’s grace and presence.
But a blessing spoken over our lives like this one at the sermon’s completion, is a heady call to praise and worship. And there is no question who is worthy of that worship: the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep.
Prayer
Pray this Hebrews blessing for yourself, someone in your wider circle, and someone in a yet-wider circle: God of peace, equip _________ with everything good for doing your will. Work in __________ what is pleasing to you, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. And Amen!