Read
(A song for worship.)
The Lord Rewards
1The Lord will bless you
if you respect him
and obey his laws.
2Your fields will produce,
and you will be happy—
all will go well.
3Your wife will be as fruitful
as a grapevine,
and just as an olive tree
is rich with olives,
your home will be rich
with healthy children.
4This is how the Lord will bless
everyone who respects him.
5I pray that the Lord
will bless you from Zion
and let Jerusalem prosper
as long as you live.
6May you live long enough
to see your grandchildren.
Let's pray for peace in Israel!
Reflect
As the pilgrims’ song carries them closer to the city of their God, they begin to dream about what God’s blessings will look like when they reach Jerusalem and peace. I wonder if, right now, you were asked to describe what God’s blessings look like in our world—what you would say?
In Hebrew, the word “blessing” holds the idea of bringing a good gift or a present to another. So when we think of God blessing us we think in terms of how God will provide what is good for us. For the pilgrims in this psalm, blessing is a smooth, straight path, a charming wife bearing children who enjoy their prosperous household, enjoying the addition of grand children to the family table. These were the things that symbolized blessing to them. But their current plight was far from this dream: bruised, beaten, held in contempt.
So what are we supposed to do with dreams that are far from present reality but keep hope alive?
Jesus’ description of a blessed person in Matthew 6 sheds light on our tight-rope human experience that balances hope with reality: one who is poor in spirit, who mourns, who is meek, who is hungry and thirsty for righteousness, who is merciful and pure in heart, a peacemaker, one who is persecuted and lied about. According to Jesus’ description, then, these pilgrims in the psalms are truly blessed.
This is so like some of the amazing people I have met in my African work—their lives are filled with devastating circumstances yet they are the ones who have taught me about joy and song and dance! They get what “blessing” is: blessed are you if you fear the Lord! Not afraid of God, but knowing he holds power ultimately. They see beyond their circumstance to the source of their hope—God. And find balance on that tight-rope of life.
Respond
God who blesses, somedays your definitions and mine just aren’t in sync! Give me arms big enough to embrace both hope in you and the real stuff of life—and to find joy in the experience. Thank you that you know accurately what is going on in our world and that you are in charge. In the name of Jesus, a great tight-rope instructor. Amen.
Elaine Pountney
Integration: a key word in Elaine’s life. Integrating a Science Degree into Counselling; integrating healing and wholeness into effective team building in an international business context (e.g. Sony Canada, Ontario Hydro, Schonbek LIghting); integrating counselling concepts with a Biblical understanding of what builds healthy communities and relationships with groups in the Caucasus, Africa, Brazil and the Arctic. Is it any wonder that she now works with leaders across Canada ‘bringing the pieces together’ toward Spiritual Integration? Publications: Reclaiming the Wonder of Sexuality. Trafford Pub: BC, Canada. 2008; “Reclaiming the wonder of sexuality: toward a Biblical understanding of male & female” teaching manual.