Page 9 - February 2026 - Truth & Tidings

sion. Jacob learned blessing’s origin while the blessing of God via His presence. He
attempting to wrestle a blessing from the is the God of all grace (1Pe 5:10).
man in the night. It was when he clung, The Lord’s Power and Peace
refusing to let go, that God blessed him.
He discovered his bout was with God “The LORD lift up his countenance
(Gen 32:24-31). How amazing to have a upon thee, and give thee peace.” There
God who is the spring of blessing, desir- is a repeated mention of the Lord’s pres-
ing to dispense it when we abide in Him! ence, emphasizing the importance of
The Lord is our preserver. Again, look- understanding that the Lord is the source
ing to the Garden of Eden, the charge to of blessing. We are dependent upon the
the man was to “dress it and to keep it” Lord to lift His eyes upon us to display
(Gen 2:15). Adam relied on himself amid His power to bless us, like when He saw
temptation, contaminating the creation he the hungry multitude and provided bread
was instructed to keep. An independent and fish for them (Joh 6:5). The end goal of
attempt to preserve our stewardship or God in displaying His blessing is to bring
self is futile apart from God’s preserving us peace, whereas the multitude saw the
hand. Our perfect example is our Lord power but refused the peace when the
Jesus Christ, who trusted His God always, Lord’s words were difficult. Five times He
but notably during the test in the wilder- is called the God of peace (e.g., Rom 15:33).
ness to “keep [him] in all [his] ways” (Psa
91:11). Jude reminds his readers of “him Reality, Not Theory
that is able to keep you from falling, and to “And they shall put my name upon the
present you faultless before the presence children of Israel; and I will bless them.”
of his glory with exceeding joy” (v24). He The final verse assured the sons of Israel
is the God who keeps us. that if they associated themselves with the
The Lord’s Presence and Its Implication Lord, He would bless them. They must
“The LORD make his face shine upon bow to His will, like the Nazarite in sepa-
thee, and be gracious to thee.” The face ration, and the conditional blessing would
speaks expressly of the Lord’s presence. come. The Nazarite vow is not one for us
The word “shine” is the common Hebrew to take today, but every believer should be
word for “light,” and imagines God’s holy to the Lord. Are we devoted to the
blessing bringing gracious illumination. Lord’s cause? Believers of this dispensa-
The expression “face shine” occurs nine tion are blessed with “all spiritual bless-
times in the OT. The presence of God ings in heavenly places in Christ” (Eph
may bring blessing or destruction. For ex- 1:3), but do we enjoy them through living
ample, when the Lord returns in glory, “all spiritual lives? If blessing from God seems
the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, more like theory than reality, we ought to
shall be stubble: and the day that cometh
shall burn them up … but unto you that check our lives, the condition of the as-
fear my name shall the Sun of righteous- sembly, or simply consider how the Bible
ness arise with healing in his wings” (Mal defines blessing. Ask the Lord to teach us
4:1-2). This blessing envisions God’s good- to understand blessing and bless like He
ness shining forth from His presence in promises, or to reveal what must occur to
our present lives. How good it is to know have His name upon us.

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