23 Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying, On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel, saying unto them,
24 The Lord bless thee, and keep thee:
25 The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:
26 The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.
27 And they shall put my name upon the children of Israel, and I will bless them.
May this priestly blessing rest upon each one of us as we begin a new year. A new year brings new beginnings, new resolutions to improve. Many of us will promise to lose weight, get more exercise, stop smoking, drink less, etc. How many of us will resolve to grow in our knowledge of the Bible, or spend more time in prayer or be more Christ-like in our dealings with others?
There’s an old saying, “Today is the first day of the rest of your life.” Today is the perfect day to recommit ourselves to following Jesus more closely, acting with love and compassion, forgiving old injuries, and working for justice with renewed vigor. As we have been blessed by God, so must we be a blessing for others. Who are the people in your life, in my life, that need a blessing today? Who are the strangers we meet who just need a smile, a nod, recognition of their existence?
Maybe it’s you that needs to look into a mirror and tell yourself that God loves you and has blessed you to his purpose. By committing ourselves to live each day as Jesus would, we are fulfilling the mission that we are called to by God.
Heavenly Father, you have created us in your image to be your instruments of love in the world. May we recommit ourselves to be blessings to everyone we meet in the coming year, confident that you will pour out your grace into our hearts. Amen.
