THE LATEST FROM TIM SPYKSTRA:
To The Place Where I Belong
A 31-Day Devotional on John 13-17
THE LATEST FROM TIM SPYKSTRA:
To The Place Where I Belong
A 31-Day Devotional on John 13-17
Face-to-Face with your Blessing
The other day I came face-to-face with a blessing in an extraordinary way. Bryan, the head master, of the school on our campus, and I were meeting with a man named Ken. Ken leads a network of Christian Schools in South Africa. The moment our meeting started a sense of peace permeated the room as Ken shared the vision for Christian Education. He clearly articulated how God can use it to raise up disciples who will impact the country with Christ’s Kingdom in their hearts.
After a tour of our campus Ken asked if he could pray over us. Laying hands on us he prayed Aaron’s Blessing:
“The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace.” Numbers 6:24-26
After he prayed this he shared how he felt one passage which helps to interpret this Blessing is the story of Jesus and the woman caught in adultery (John 8:1-11). How the woman caught in adultery by the religious leaders were using this to trip Jesus up and prove He was a law breaker. The law demanded her to be stoned and yet the religious leaders knew Jesus’ heart was full of mercy and grace.
Perhaps you remember how Jesus responded. He bent down and wrote something in the dirt with His finger. Then He stood up and said, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” Then He bent down again and wrote once again. How I wish we knew what He wrote because it was so powerful and convicting that each of those wanting to condemn departed, starting with the oldest to the youngest.
At that very moment she encountered the Blessing of Numbers 6:24-26, she saw the face of God shinning on her! For the first time in her life she knew a perfect peace deep in her spirit.
After Ken left I returned to our flat and felt drawn to dwell further in these texts. I could see how the gracious act of Jesus demonstrated the face of the Father loving His lost daughter to salvation. She could walk away with a new freedom of knowing her sins are forgiven and filled with a love beyond understanding which would be her new compass directing her life.
Ken’s blessing over us the other day and his explanation of it awakened my spirit to to the glorious face of Jesus who continues to shine brightly with a grace filled love. The Father does not hold our sins against us and continues by His Spirit to point us to His face of complete blessing found in Jesus.
I challenge you today to read the Blessing again and picture the hands of Jesus placed on your shoulder and His face glowing with glorious joy looking at you. Hear His words of blessing and let them fill you with the Spirit of the Father’s perfect peace. This is what you have been created for.
