Time to Shine
{Taking a few weeks to revisit some previously posted material and I am prayerful God gives fresh wind to the heart of each post. Numbers 6:24-26 is a favorite Text of mine and intimately woven into the heart of my oldest daughter Ainsley. It's been her promise given by the Lord to me from before she was born. Each night we rehearse it's blessing and to know the breath of the Father uttered it from Heaven over the children of Israel to embolden their confidence provokes sheer amazement. Praying whatever moment you read these words and gather these journal prompts you are blessed and filled with holy confidence.
Jesus loves you so richly, so deeply, so intentionally and His driving ambition is to seal each day with anointing so profound the earth is shaken from our hearts and we live with holy ambition.
Love you dearly.}
We are both ready to commit to the sweet dreams of steady slumber, but there is an important promise to seal over the day. I ask my seven year old daughter one last question as I tuck her down into a mountain of fluffy cloud like blankets, “Ainsley, what does God say over you?” Her response is repeated nearly every night with the same broad smile that grows to an unquenchable pride.“May the Lord bless Ainsley and keep her. May the Lord make His face shine on Ainsley and be gracious to her. May the Lord lift up His countenance on Ainsley and give her peace.” {Numbers 6:24-26}Our worlds run in a constant laundry spin cycle of email, social media, text messages and loads of non-verbal cues at a speed as swift as the projection of light. We are expected to decipher the real from the fake. The blessing from the curse. The burden from the assignment. The calling from the people pleasing. It’s ridiculous. Basically, we are expected to be digital interpreting ninjas knowing what is truly meant from a few letters strung together with maybe an explanation point and an occasional emoticon if you’re lucky.But here in this glorious Text we have a loving God not just shooting out a quick blessing with confusing manipulative symbols. Here we have the Creator of the Universe blowing fresh wind and fire from the passionate coals of Heaven over how the priest were to bless His people specifically and lavishly. His desire is for the proclamation of Numbers 6:24-26 to propel the confidence in which we work in our professions, love our children, build our marriages, live through our mundane to mountain top and overcome sin….because it comes from the Name that is above all Names. “So shall they put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them.” {Numbers 6:27}When we truly receive the blessing of placing Jesus as Lord over ALL of our life, we reflect His glory. We shine! Not with a dull rubbed wrong by the world kind of way, but with a virtuoso brilliance emanating the kind of Hope only God can offer. It sounds dramatic, and you would be right. It is. The world is dying for Light. Real Light. Jesus Light. It’s time to start Lighting up the world. It’s time to start Shining as we bear His Name, reflect His image and expose His Light.We are asking questions in our journal pages like….
- Where do I feel overwhelmed by the laundry spin cycle of life?
- Where do I need to see the illumination of God’s grace filled favor over my life?
- Where am I bearing His Name, reflecting His image and exposing His Light through my life?
We are taking the scripture deeper here…“May God be gracious to us and bless us and make His face to shine on us, that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations. Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you!” {Psalm 67:1-3}“But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day.” {Proverbs 4:18}We are praying things like…Lord, we invite and invoke your blessing over our lives. We humble ourselves before you and ask supreme grace and unmerited privilege marks our lives. Grant us the wisdom to posture our hearts to bear Your Name and receive your lavish blessings. Help us to receive the goodness of your benedictions as personal invitations of love. Be glorified sweet Jesus, as we shine brilliantly.
