Something to think about…
“Bless you!” What just happened? Someone probably sneezed. Outside of that context, how often do we really hear those words in our world? “God bless you.”However, if we understood the significance and power of blessing, we might use those words more frequently and intentionally in our daily lives. Scripture clearly tells us that we have the power to bless or curse. We have the ability to speak life or death, and they aren’t “just words,” it is much more than that.
We all long to experience God’s blessing in our lives. That is why I think the current song The Blessing resonates with so many people around the world. I recently had the opportunity to serve with a family member of one of the songs writers. She shared a bit of the story behind the song with us. It was fascinating to hear how this song formed and was released into the world. It was a “God thing” from beginning to end.
Cody Carnes and Kari Jobe were at Elevation Church for a weekend of worship. They came a day early to do some writing and recording with the Elevation team. On Thursday they spent the entire day working on one song, attempting to get it ready to record. During a break, Cody noticed the Pastor, Steven Furtick, playing around with another tune. When he asked about it, Steven said he had been wanting to write a song around the Aaronic blessing in Numbers 6 for some time. Cody started singing along with him and soon the team began to gather around. In that moment it was evident that the Spirit entered the room. Before long the song took shape and they were singing it together.
Cody and Kari had never done this before, but they all decided to record the new song and sing it in worship that weekend. The response from the congregation was amazing. They all sensed a strong impression from the Lord that they were to bypass the normal recording and marketing process and immediately release this song out into the world. That meant there would be no real revenue for them, but there was a sense of urgency. God wanted this song for His people. That all happened at the beginning of 2020, just before COVID hit and everything shut down.
In light of the timing, it is amazing to think about the context of the Priestly Blessing. The Lord told Moses to have Aaron and his sons speak this blessing over God’s people while they were wandering in the wilderness. This was a season of struggle, but the Lord wanted them to know that He was with them every step of the way. Through their 40 years in the desert, their clothes never wore out, their sandals didn’t wear out, and God provided manna every day. As we entered a new season of struggle, I believe the Lord wanted His people to know that He is with us every step of the way. He will never leave us nor forsake us. He is for you not against you. And I pray whatever season you find yourself in right now, you will experience God’s favor and blessing in your life today!
“The Lord bless you
and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you
and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you
and give you peace.”
“So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.” ~ Numbers 6:24-27