Psalm 67 - Needing a Blessing
A friend online posted something today asking others to share some goodness into their life because of a run of bad news. I don’t know if it was personal things or world things (or some combination of both) but I shared a few photos of some beauty that I had seen recently. A few other things have arisen today and I found myself going back to Psalm 67 which has just been kind of “sitting there” for me the last few days. What I noticed today was how it begins with words that have echoes of what is arguably the most well known blessing in the Bible. In the book of Numbers, this blessing is shared by Moses to the people:
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.
I cannot tell you the number of times I’ve heard a church leader use this at the end of a service (or I have used it) or has been used in other contexts (a small group, etc). Here’s how Psalm 67 begins:
May God be gracious to us and bless us
and make his face to shine upon us,
It may not be the same but it sure echoes. So to my friend needing some good news, for me with the other things that arose this afternoon, to others who may need a blessing, receive those ancient words and receive these images that have connected with me the last few days - a purple sunrise and then flowers in full bloom in downtown Cincinnati and a photo of blooming tulips in Amsterdam where one of my daughters was this week.
And here’s Scout with the flowers this morning
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Grace, Peace, Love, and Joy,
Ed
Edward, it's dark I clock in the morning and I'm calling my email as it's all so negative out there. This is such a blessing to read. And I know it might rule up some readers but I loved the benediction the late Robert Schuller used to use. * May the Lord bless and keep you. May the Lord make His face to shine upon you and give you peace: in your going down and in your rising up, in your labor and in your leisure,in your laughter and in your tears, until you stand before Jesus in all His glory*
I do love the flooded bench. Just sitting here waiting, Lord. Crying out - and waiting. How long, Lord? How long?