God Draws Near

Scripture: Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, Thus you shall bless the people of Israel: you shall say to them,
     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 6:23-26

 

Observation: This is a specific blessing, given by God to Moses, to give to Aaron, to speak over Israel. In it, I see two important elements. First, God will care for the people being blessed - he will bless them, be gracious toward them, and give them peace. In these things, grace and peace are the keys - God will grant them a special kind of comfort.

 

Second, God will personally engage and draw near to the people being blessed. He will keep them, turn his face to them, shine upon them, and lift up his countenance upon them. These are actions of direct engagement. God is not far off or disengaged - he is right there, reaching out, holding on, looking directly at us, shining down, and engaged with us.

 

Application: The perception of God's engagement is critical to understand. In fact, it is critical to desire it. Believers in Jesus Christ seek to fully engage with God. This is done in continual prayer, collaboration with the Holy Spirit, and in joining with God in his work. By contrast, those who are struggling with Jesus - non believers, atheists, agnostics, or even believers who are deeply trapped in sin - fear being near to God. If they consider God at all, they fear his judgment, his presence, and his correction.

 

This is a test, then, for me to evaluate when I am 'right' with God. If I am delighted by his presence and seeking his face to shine upon me, then I am in a place that is ready for his grace and peace. However, if in my heart I am worried about him being near or evaluating my actions and my heart, then I have strayed to a place that cannot have his blessing.

 

Prayer: Lord, I so love and long for your every blessing ... your blessings of love, peace, comfort, rest, grace, and joy. May I be reminded of your promise in this blessing, and know that your blessings and your attentions go hand-in-hand, and when I am far from your attentions then I am outside of your blessings. Since I long for your blessings, I will also long for your attention in all things. Amen.