We Are Simply Blessed

I never dreamed my used truck would be worth almost as much as I paid for it several years ago.  The value of the truck varies on Kelly Blue Book whether I say it’s in excellent, fair or poor condition.  But, we all know that isn’t the only thing that gives it value.  An item can have greater or lesser value depending on its usefulness to you.  You could have a brand-new Tesla that you wanted to trade for my truck and I wouldn’t trade it just because you wanted to trade vehicles.  You see, your Tesla can’t haul a yard of mulch for my yard, or have room for six people to sit, or be able to pull my boat.  My truck is worth more value to me than your Tesla is to me.

Our lives are filled with checks and balances as we evaluate our value.  Think of how many value and status feeds are silently operating in the back of your minds when it comes to your mental, emotional, social, spiritual and physical health.  And someone who is living each day with an alert on all these quality-of-life issues will find themselves becoming tired just trying to keep them all straight.   And this is just the beginning.  Once an alarm of life goes off you have to figure out what to do with it.  Can I afford it?  Which medication will work and what will it do to my liver?  There are so many factors that could end up making life worse, not better.  No wonder it’s nearly impossible to answer the question, “How are you” with much honesty.  So, as we are trying to figure out our worth and value, our check and balances, is it any wonder that people are stressed out!!!!

When God created people to live in this perfect world, he didn’t give them life to be measured, assessed and given value simply by whether it was excellent, good or fair.  He wanted Adam and Eve to enjoy each ounce of life as highly valued people by their Creator!  God didn’t create us to evaluate our lives based on appearances, but created us to be in his image and in his likeness with a simple yet perfectly fulfilling heart that says, “I’m so blessed!”  Of course since the fall into sin our perspective has been clouded by sin, and now our perspective is focused into the future in heaven.  So, while we are still here on earth, we long for the time when we are there with God living in a perfect mental, emotional, social, spiritual and physical condition. Until that day comes when God calls to heaven, we want to know the key to living a valued, safe, fulfilling and peaceful life. Then when someone asks you, “How are you doing?” you can say:

We Are Simply Blessed

Like Sponges Soaking Up God’s Goodness

It is Trinity Sunday and we pause on this Sunday to recall who God is and what God has done to save us. Today we are God’s sponges to soak up every drop of Good News God sends our way to see life simply and speak it simply saying, “We Are Simply Blessed.”

Today our sermon comes from Numbers 6.  You are so familiar with these words because we hear them so often as the end of our service.  These words were first spoken at Mt. Sinai.  God had just given his people the 10 Commandments along with a host of other ceremonial and civil laws before they set out for the journey to the Promised Land.  We know what their focus had been since leaving Egypt—“What will be eat tomorrow?”  God took care of that.  “What will we drink?”  God handled that as well.  “How long will we have to wander around in the desert?  What if we’re attacked by enemies?  Should we really trust Moses and keep going or not?”  But, all God wanted them to do was focus on his promises. God gave these promises to their forefather Abraham.

“² I will make you a great nation. I will bless you and make your name great. You will be a blessing. ³ I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse anyone who dishonors you. All of the families of the earth will be blessed in you”

Genesis 12:1-3

At Mt. Sinai God gave them more than commandments, he also gave this his word!  Because of his Word they would always know how their relationship was and why.  He told them to sacrifice lambs as a gracious substitute for the forgiveness of their sins.  He also gave them the Tribe of Levi to serve as their mediators.  The people would bring their sacrifices to them, and then God gave the priests the exact words to say to the people to soak up the blessing of the Lord. 

“²² The Lord told Moses ²³ to speak to Aaron and to his sons and to tell them to bless the Israelites with these words:”

Numbers 6:22-23

When God spoke these words through his priests he left no room for worry or fear.  This blessing was not to be the recess bell for worship to grab your kids, your purse and head for the door wondering, “What’s for lunch today?” They were to memorize them to soak into the fabric of their faith, to rely on, to refresh in you the ongoing power of God in your life.

I remember during my seminary years the first time I was given the privilege to lead the worship service.  I was very nervous in order not to make a mistake, but I remember being the most nervous when it came time to give the Benediction.  I was about to give the people God’s blessing.  God was putting his value into them, giving them strength for the mental, emotional, spiritual, social and physical life.  God pronounced his blessing through me for them to Soak Up God’s Goodness and know, “We are blessed!” Now let’s look at this blessing in detail not only so you can Soak up God’s Goodness, but also leave here today

Like Sponges Dripping With Godly Confidence

God said,

“²⁴ The Lord bless you and keep you.  ²⁵ The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you. ²⁶ The Lord look on you with favor and give you peace.” 

Numbers 6:24-26

God used his Covenant name three times with two verbs following each name. All three statement are from the Lord to us with his promised results.

“The Lord bless you and keep you.”  This was God promise.  They could rely on his promise to bless them with an ongoing effect.  Think of it like this.  When you enter a room either it has oxygen or it doesn’t. The light is either on or it’s off.  Here the Savior God is guaranteeing his blessing on you.  He is giving his power for your well-being.  For the Lord to bless you is to get things that are effective for your good. So, whether our earthly lives are excellent, fair or poor, God put value in us with his blessing for our eternal good.

“The Lord bless you and keep you.” When the Lord keeps you that means no one can take you, hurt you, and steal you.  The Lord is the Lord of all, the King of all, God almighty who answers to no one. He guards and protects us from all evil.  Yes, even if the worse of evil of this world comes, God keeps you safe in the Lord Jesus Christ for all eternity.  He will not fail.  Be Sponges of God dripping with Confidence that The Lord bless you and keep you!

“The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you.” This is as real as it gets.  The darkness of your sins, your rebellion and your enmity toward God should cause God to turn his face away from you.  God knows our spiritual poverty with nothing to give to save ourselves and one inch away from the eternal flames of hell we deserve.  The Lord gets it.  It’s real.  We are frozen cold in the shame of sin, the dark night of sin’s curse before God’s holy and just law.  God knows he must do it.  He must make his face shine the warmth of his forgiveness and grace.  Your deliverance from God’s wrath was given to his Son.  Because Jesus died and offered his perfect life for the payment of all your sin, God had no reason to curse the community.  Rather our satisfied Lord would “make his face shine and be gracious to you.”  So undeserved, yet inspired by God’s love for us in Christ.

This is as good a place as any to point out that the Benediction spoken over the people was singular.  In English I can say, “You” to mean all of you, or just one of you.  In Hebrew the word is singular.  So, when you hear the Benediction spoken you are welcome to replace each “you” with your name.  Just as each of us has an accounting of sin when we say, “by my fault, by my own grievous fault,” so we also hear the Lord’s promise—one by one each of you are sponges dripping with confidence—the Lord “make his face shine on you and be gracious to you.”

“The Lord look on you with favor and give you peace.” When the Lord looks on you with favor, you love that look.  We give a lot of looks to people.  Our look gives them an immediate message of our disposition toward them.  If I do this: 😮 you know I’m surprised.  Or this: 🤔 you know I’m wondering what you’re up to.  Or this: 😀 you know I’m happy to see you.  So, how does the Lord look at you through Jesus Christ? It’s a favorable look.  You see him smile at his Son, so he smiles at you.  If there were any second thoughts or relationship issues between God and you, these words couldn’t be said.  But, you are like Sponges dripping with Godly Confidence. “the Lord look on you with favor and give you peace.”  There are no ripples in the water.  There is only calm, sustaining and fulfilling peace.

“²⁷ In this way they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.” 

Numbers 6:27

This is God’s promise.  God ceases to be God if he doesn’t do what he promises to do. When God promises, it’s as good as done.   Like sponges we soak up God’s goodness and drip with confidence.

So, after hearing our Triune God proclaim this blessing on his people, how are you going to evaluate your value before God?  The key to living a valued, peaceful, fulfilling, strong and victorious life now is whether or not the Lord is gracious to you, smiles on you, and gives you peace.  Under the umbrella of being God’s dearly loved child go ahead and evaluate your life with its checks and balances for your mental, emotional, spiritual, social and physical condition.  Then look at the cross of Jesus where he gained all of God’s blessings for you.  There at the cross soak up God’s goodness and leave here today dripping in confidence for We Are Simply Blessed!  Amen.