“The Lord bless you and keep you.  The Lord make His Face shine upon you and be gracious unto you.  The Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace.”

Numbers 6:24-26

When we remember we’re to be the Lord’s “consecrated conduits” (II Tim. 2:21), His Life and Love will overflow from us to everyone we meet.

In her book, The Christian’s Secret of The Happy Life, Hannah Whithall Smith tells of one who went out to a field of clay and soon began smelling a sweet aroma.  Slowly he looked around and followed the scent to a section of clay and asked it, “Are you a rose?”  But, the clay replied “No—but there was one laid nearby.”

What a beautiful picture of our relationship with the Lord Jesus, Heaven’s Rose of Sharon (Song of Sol. 2:1).

By nature we are a “wild olive branch” (Rom. 11:17, 24), that’s  rooted in rottenness from birth (Is. 64:6).  But, through the miraculous process of the new birth, God’s “most Precious Treasure” (II Cor. 4:7) takes up residence in our hearts and begins transforming us from the inside out.

During this process of sanctification we are transformed from a spiritual Dead Sea (with no life or outlet) into a beautiful, spiritual Sea of Galilee, teeming with life and vitality.  And, one of the “fringe benefits” of this transformation is the Fragrance of Christ’s Love that begins to ooze out of every pore.  Glory!!

How beautiful the “Blessed Benediction” God gave to Moses that day in today’s Manna.  And, even though it was intended for Israel, it’s still a wonderful “parting gift” to give to others as we walk the Pilgrim’s Pathway.

Look at those words one more time:

“The Lord bless you and keep you.”  When Christ’s Life and Love are operational in us, we always want to be a blessing to others.  And, even if others have wounded up terribly, we still ask the Lord to forgive them and bless them in hopes that it will bring them to the place of “Godly sorrow and repentance” (Mt. 5:44; Lk. 6:28).

“The Lord make His Face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you.”  Again, what a blessed request to the Heavenly Father for those we meet.  Nowadays, so many folks’ faces are clouded by fear and doubt.  They live under guilt, not Grace, and there is no radiance to their countenance.  What better blessing to give them than this—that they’d come to know the pleasure of His smile and the graciousness of His Love?

“The Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace.”  How wonderful to feel the Lord Jesus’ abiding Presence with/in us every moment of the day.  In so doing, ours becomes a “Fragrant Fellowship” that permeates us with His “indescribable Peace” (Phil. 4:7).  So, go forth in Christ’s Power today, Pilgrim; the world desperately needs to know Him and His redeeming Love.

By Tom Smith Morning Manna Dated December 2, 2010

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