April 9- A Blessing

April 9, 2011

Scripture Readings:
Deuteronomy 33:1-29; Luke 13:1-21
Psalm 78:65-72; Proverbs 12:25

May the road rise up to meet you.

May the wind always be at your back.

May the sun shine warm upon your face,

and rains fall soft upon your fields.

And until we meet again,

May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

~Irish Blessing

Deuteronomy 33:1-29

My husband and I both have Irish blood running through our veins.  It is fitting then that this Irish blessing is framed and hangs in our home.  Blessings are a comfort and joy to the person to whom they are spoken.  Every church service that I attended during high school at the Methodist church in my hometown ended with these words spoken over the congregation by the pastor, "May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you.  May the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace."  It was a great way to start the week.

Moses ends his tenure as God's prophet and leader to the nation of Israel with a blessing.  God is sending Moses to his death and the nation of Israel to their destiny in the Promised Land.  Here is a breakdown for each tribe:

• Moses prays that the tribe of Reuben will not become extinct. Vs. 6
• The tribe of Judah will provide the Messiah to his people. Vs. 7
• The tribe of Levi will teach the Law and bless the nation of Israel. Vs. 10-11
• The tribes of Benjamin will live in safety. Vs. 12
• The tribes of Joseph will be especially blessed with abundance. Vs. 13-17
• The tribes of Zebulun and Isaachar will be people of expeditions in both the mountains and the sea. Vs. 14-20
• The tribe of Gad will have expanded territory. Vs. 21
• The tribe of Dan will be like a lion. Vs. 22
• The tribe of Naphtali will possess the west and south. Vs. 23
• The tribe of Asher will be blessed with oil. Vs. 24

The blessing ends with a description of God as the one who rides across the heavens in majestic splendor to help the Israelites. He is an eternal refuge and His everlasting arms hold them.  He is a protecting shield and a triumphant sword!

As God's chosen one, have you experienced His blessing in your life?  Have you rested in His everlasting arms?  Do you run to Him as your refuge?  He will shield you and fight for you each day!

Luke 13:1-21

Jesus teaches us about the nature of suffering in this next section of Scripture.  He cites two examples of groups of people who were notoriously killed.  One group was killed by Pilate and the other group died when a building collapsed on them.  Jesus clarifies to the crowd that people who died in these tragedies did not die in these terrible ways as punishment for their sins.  Are you suffering and wondering if your suffering is tied to some sin in your life?  If your suffering is not a consequence of a sinful lifestyle decision (ie. STD because of immoral sexual behavior), but rather just a tragic accident or terminal illness, then you can be sure that it is not a punishment for sin.  His story about the fig tree indicates that God is patient with us.  He endures while waiting for fruit in our lives. Are you making God wait for fruit to show in your life?

On the Sabbath day Jesus heals a woman who was hunched over for 18 years because of demon possession.  The Pharisees are angry that he is working on the Sabbath.  Jesus charges back that they are hypocrites because they water and feed their donkeys on the Sabbath, but don't want him to help this lady who had been crippled by Satan.  He indicates that this woman is more important than a donkey. His enemies are shamed at this, and his followers are encouraged.  Do you get legalistic about the Sabbath?

With the mustard seed and the bread and yeast stories, Jesus is indicating that the Church on earth will have sin within it.  The Church, though saved through faith, will always have wolves among the sheep and weeds within the wheat.  Have you experienced the imperfection of the Church on earth? 

Psalm 78:65-72

This psalm indicates that when God woke up to defeat His enemy, Satan, He used the tribe of Judah to build a towering sanctuary that was as solid as the earth itself.  What a beautiful description of Jesus Christ.

Proverbs 12:25

"Worry weighs a person down; an encouraging word cheers a person up."  Truth, people.  Truth.

What did you see today?

Blessings,

Jubilee Gal
Kathy Fullerton