Title: Train the Three Blessings
Contents
Hymn: 469 'In the depths of my soul' / Meditation: Blessing others is also a discipline. / Confession of Faith: Apostles' Creed / Text: Numbers 6:22-27
Word: Four-finger pianist Hee-ya succeeded in performing Chopin's 'Impromptu Fantasy' after practicing 10 hours a day for 5 years. You can do it freely if you train for exercise and instrument practice. The life of faith is also training.
This text is about Aaron and his sons, that is, the priests, blessing Israel. God blesses the nation of Israel three things. These are the blessings we need to train today.
First, it is the blessing of keeping (6:24). God protects His chosen people. In 1858, a child with polio was born to a family in New York, USA, with lameness, blindness, and breathing problems. At first, the parents resented God, but soon they changed their mind, regarded the child as a gift and thanked God. Parents caressing their children every day, saying: "God loves you. God is always with you and protects you. He uses you dearly." Then something amazing happened. This child became the mayor of New York at the age of 28, then the governor of New York and vice president of the United States, and then the president of the United States at the age of 43. This man was Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th (1901-1909) President of the United States. It is because God protected them according to the prayers of their parents.
Second, it is the blessing of grace (6:25). The word “gracious” in Hebrew is “hanan,” which means “to have mercy.” Grace is God's boundless mercy, unconditionally bestowed upon human beings who cannot but die because of sin. Even when we fall, God comes to us and gives us grace.
Third, it is the blessing of peace (6:26). The peace that God gives is different from the peace of the world. The Hebrew word for peace is 'Shalom'. This is not a peace without war, but an active peace full of joy. I always say "Shalom" to me. When I bless you with shalom, my heart also enjoys the joy of God's peace.
Please train to bless others. Just as God blesses the faces of his beloved people, look at each other's faces and bless them. Bless that person even in their absence. Especially bless your children. May you train your blessings every day.
Prayer: Thank you, God, for always being with us and giving us grace and peace. Bless others and let them live. Amen.
Lord's Prayer