"Lighting the Fire"
Jotting – Week 32

Send with a Blessing

Years ago, when our children left a parochial school to attend public school, I strongly felt the need to give them a blessing each day as they walked into their classrooms. Because I was not used to doing so, it took me several days before I found the right words–and the courage to say to them, “God bless your day.” Simple though these words are, this blessing is still included in farewells we give each other as we leave home, to our children, children-in-law, and now to our grandchildren when they depart from a personal or a phone visit: “God be with you.” “God bless you.” And they are sent on their way with the words that God loves them and indeed is with them.

A friend of mine who grew up in Slovakia said his father never let his children go out the door in the morning without placing his hand on each head and saying a blessing. The children were sent out with a sense of who they were and whose they were. In fact, when I spent some time in Slovakia with a colleague to train Sunday school teachers some years ago, I was profoundly moved by the blessings we received as we left each home, each workshop. I can still hear the voices, still see the people, such as Stefan, raising his hands in blessing, tears flowing down his face, still speaking a benediction as he walked through the doorway.

My first grade class always ended the day by singing the first stanza of Jaroslav Vajda’s song, “Go, My Children, with My Blessing” as I placed a hand of blessing on each head.

In today’s world, our families and friends need to hear as often as possible, “Go with God”; “God bless and keep you”; “God bless the work that you are doing for the sake of the Gospel”; “God bless you in your school work and in your witness for Him.”

Children dropped off at a day care center, at elementary, junior high or high school all need to carry that blessing with them in their hearts. Friends, as they leave after a visit, should hold that blessing close to them. Those in our congregations who are given special tasks, who go on retreats, who are sent for mission work, who go into the everyday work world or work in their own homes need to hear that blessing from God, that He loves them, is with them in times of temptation and trial, as they play and pray together, as they are persecuted for the sake of the Gospel, as they witness to their faith in Christ.

Through blessing others and receiving blessings, you will be blessed to take a stand for Jesus, to speak to others of the saving grace of God, to give a word of warning or wisdom or comfort to those around you.

Following are a number of Scripture passages rephrased for you to speak a blessing as you send out those in your family, or give to friends, neighbors, fellow church members in various situations. Use them to begin or end emails or letters, to encourage those who do mission work for you in your congregation, your district, the Synod, in the world:

“May the God of our fathers help you, and the Almighty bless you with blessings of heaven above and blessings of the deep that lies beneath” (from Genesis 49:25).

“The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace” (from Numbers 6:24-26).

“May the LORD your God bless you in all your works and in all to which you put your hand” (from Deuteronomy 15:10).

“I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the LORD your God will bless you” (from Deuteronomy 30:16).

“Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go” (from Joshua 1:9).

“Oh, that God  would bless you indeed, and enlarge your territory, that His hand would be with you, and that He would keep you from evil, that you may not cause pain!” (from the request of Jabez in 1 Chronicles 4:10)

“The LORD is your strength, and He is the saving refuge of His anointed. You are His. May He bless you and shepherd you also, and bear you up forever” (from Psalm 28:8-9).

“May the LORD give strength to you, His child. May the LORD bless you, His child, with peace”  (from Psalm 29:11).

“Sing to the LORD, bless His name; proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day. Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples” (from Psalm 96:2-3).

“Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,  Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle's” (from Psalm 103:2-5).

“Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. Let all that you do be done with love” (from 1 Corinthians 16:13-14).

“Nothing shall separate you from the love of Christ. In all things you are more than conquerors through Him who loves you. Neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate you from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (from Romans 8:35, 37-39).        

“Remember the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! ... In Him you have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (from Romans 11:33 and Ephesians 1:7).

“Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for your sins, that He might deliver you from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory forever and ever” (from Galatians 1:3-5).

“May the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward you who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places” (from Ephesians 1:17-20).

“Remember that by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For you are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that you should walk in them” (from Ephesians 2:8-10).

“May God grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in your inner self, that Christ may dwell in your heart through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height–to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God” (from Ephesians 3:16-19).

“I pray that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God” (from Philippians 1:9-11).

“Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all. The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your heart and mind through Christ Jesus” (from Philippians 4:4-7).

“Whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy– meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard about in Jesus, in Paul, that you have seen in other Christians, these do, and the God of peace will be with you” (from Philippians 4:8-9).

“Walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; giving thanks to the Father who has qualified you to be a partaker of the inheritance of the saints in the light” (from Colossians 1:10-12).

“May our God would count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power, that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ” (from 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12).

“How great is the love the Father has lavished on you, that you should be called a child of God!(from 1 John 3:1).

Pray: Dear Father in heaven, You bless us every day with Your lavish and abundant love. Give us the desire, the words, and the opportunity to bless others with that same love as we send family members, friends, and workers in Your Kingdom into their everyday worlds to live for You and to witness their faith in Jesus’ redeeming love to others. In Jesus’ name. Amen.