Today’s Scripture
Reading (July 30, 2012): Numbers 6
A few days ago I spent a day at the Calgary Zoo with my family. It was a
great day. As it started, the day was filled with sunshine. And as the summer
sun tends to do, it quickly became a very warm day. But the morning sun quickly
turned into afternoon cloud. And the temperature began to drop (and it actually
became a very comfortable afternoon.) But then the afternoon clouds turned into
an afternoon thunderstorm. And the rain was cold and wet and a bit
uncomfortable. But summer thunderstorms do not tend to last long and soon the
rain stopped and the clouds moved on leaving the sun to shine down on us once
more. And the afternoon temperature rose and we continued our excursion continued.
The day had been filled with various forms of weather (luckily I could
not add snow or hail to my list), but the reality was that at no time did I
really have to look up at the sky to figure out what was going on. I knew what
was going on in the sky by what was happening on the ground. When the sun was
shining I could feel the heat. And when it disappeared, the absence of the heat
was immediately noticeable. But at the same time, I did have to recognize what
the sun was – and I had to take notice of what was happening all around me.
It is not an accident that this blessing takes on the language of the
sun. The idea of the blessing is that God’s presence shining upon you should be
a noticeable event. God’s blessing should never leave us guessing. But we have
to be able to understand our times and our culture – and be need to be willing
to understand our God.
So let me echo the blessing for you and in your life. I hope that God’s
face will shine upon you. That God’s presence would be noticeable and obvious in
your life. May you understand your own surroundings and everything that God is
already doing all around you. Because he is at work all around you – no matter
what you may believe about him.
Tomorrow’s
Scripture Reading: Numbers 7
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