Thoughts for the Day

Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory,
for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness.
Why should the nations say,
‘Where is their God?’...

The Lord has been mindful of us; he will bless us;
he will bless those who fear the Lord,
both small and great.
May you be blessed by the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.

The heavens are the Lord’s heavens,
but the earth he has given to human beings.
The dead do not praise the Lord,
nor do any that go down into silence.
But we will bless the Lord
from this time on and for evermore.
Praise the Lord!

(Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

Years ago when I switched from writing letters to sending emails, I decided to conclude with the salutation "Blessings", and then my name. Many people don't bother to add anything at the end of the email, after all you know who has sent the email before you even read it. But it occurred to me that it was one way to send a Christian message. When I type it, I also send a quick "arrow" prayer for them.

Psalm 115 uses the word "Bless" and "Blessed" as we can see from the excerpt above. In the Bible a blessing is more than just a good wish; it's a way of sending God's favour and grace. The Hebrew word for blessing (barak) means to kneel or bow down and to show reverence to God. But in ancient times blessings also played a crucial role in the community. In Genesis (27.28-29) Isaac gives Jacob the elder son's blessing rather than Esau, after being tricked, and confers spiritual and physical benefits on him. One of the most famous blessings is that found in Numbers where God instructs Moses to tell Aaron to bless the people, saying: "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). We still use this today in worship, offering God's grace and peace upon us, as it does.

Ultimately also, a blessing causes us to seek God and to see His hand in our lives, for as we read in the Epistle of James "All good gifts come from God." (1.17) We in our turn are then to share His blessings with others as we grow closer to God and realise that the life He offers is not all about material possessions, but about a deeper relationship with Him. Therefore the psalmist returns his blessing to God for all His gifts, and today we return our blessings to God for the gift of His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.

Father-God,
we bless You
for all Your good gifts to us this day.
We bless You for Your generosity,
for Your love for Your creation,
and for Your Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ,
who offered up His life for us.
Teach us to pass on Your blessings to others
and draw ever closer to You.
Amen.