“The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, Thus you shall bless the people of Israel: you shall say to them, 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.’ So shall they put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them.” Numbers 6:22-27
So often I think we sing songs when worshipping the Lord, & we don’t really ponder the impact of what we are saying. For so long this was exactly the case with me and the song, “The Lord Bless you and Keep You.” I would think about it as I was singing the song, thinking, “Yep, sure, I want God to bless the brethren sitting around me.” But I wouldn’t really take it any further than that.
It wasn’t until we came to Numbers chapter 6 in our nightly family Bible study that the impact of this verse really hit me, & it is incredible! This is an ACTUAL BLESSING from the Lord God Almighty Himself! This is what He personally commanded Aaron to tell HIS CHOSEN PEOPLE. Wow!
This realization has had so many implications for our family. First of all, this song is now how we start our day. I had been praying for a way to really center our hearts and our minds right off the bat in the morning, & once I understood the impact of this verse, the song seemed to be perfect! Every morning the kids and I gather around and sing this to each other. I feel that by doing this daily with my children, like Aaron with God’s children, I am putting God’s mark upon the hearts of my children before anything else can distract them, & reinforcing it every day!
Colossians 3:1-2 reads, “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on the earth.” Singing praise is an excellent way to do this, & for our family this song in particular has really helped keep us grounded in what is important.
Secondly, this song, & the verse it represents have reiterated to me the importance of blessing my children. I don’t know if you have ever seen the television show, “Nanny 911.” In a sadistic way I enjoy watching this show on occasion because it makes me feel much better about the chaos that inevitably ensues at times with my four precious children simply because at least they are not like that!
My family was watching this show the other day, with the inevitable question to the kids of, “Now what would happen to you if you acted that way?!” It soon became apparent, though (as is often the case with this show) that the children were not to be blamed for the destructive state of the home. It was the mother!
As the show progressed, it became glaringly obvious that all this mother did was nag and degrade her children. They wanted nothing more than her approval, & no matter how hard they tried, they just couldn’t get it. It was heart-breaking to watch them physically wilt beneath the harshness of their mother’s words.
As a mother, God has created within me the incredible potential to nurture my children, & He has created within them the need for that nurturing! This song is a daily reminder to me that I need to bless my children, & I need to ask my Heavenly Father for His blessings on them also! They need to know that I lift them up in prayer, that I am investing in each one of them, that I love them and that I am proud of them!
It is so special to me to give my children this blessing through song every day. I love looking into their faces and saying to them, “The Lord bless you and keep you.” I know that I cannot always be physically with my children. I also know that even if I am with them, I am only human and cannot protect them from everything. But God our Father can! This does not mean that bad things will never happen to my children; if that were the case who would need Heaven?! But it does mean that the peace of God can go with them to guide them through the hard times that they face.
As a mother, the song, “The Lord Bless You and Keep You,” has very special meaning to me. It reminds me that my focus needs to be on the Father of all, & that it is my job as a mother to ensure my children’s focus is there too. It also reminds me that just as the children of Israel needed to be blessed by God, my children do too! And most importantly, I am the tool that God uses to give that blessing to my children.
So now I say to you, “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.”
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Welcome! We are so glad you stopped by. Come Fill Your Cup is a group of Christian ladies dedicated to equipping women for study and service. We know you are busy and that life’s hectic pace pulls you in so many directions, but you can’t truly be the woman God desires unless you take time to fill your own cup…not with spa days (though we love a good spa!) or the latest novel…but with God’s Holy Word. We want to help you with that! Our goal is to reach you in the midst of your busy day and give you encouragement, education, and fellowship as you strive to live the life God has laid before you. Our prayer is that we can help fill your cup so that you, in turn, can overflow to all those around you. So, as we like to say…come fill your cup, and let it overflow!
What a great idea, Lacy! Your writing is so very encouraging to me, and I thank you.
I REALLY ENJOYED YOUR ARTICLE! AS MOTHERS, WE DO NOT REALIZE HOW HARMFUL OUR HARSH WORDS AND SOUR FACES ARE TO OUR CHILDREN! EVERYDAY WE SHOULD WAKE UP READY TO BLESS OUR CHILDREN. I REMEMBER THE MOVIE, “FIDDLER ON THE ROOF” AND HOW AT THE SABBATH MEAL THEY BLEST THE CHILDREN. A SIMPLE HABIT LIKE THAT WOULD BE SO HELPFUL TO US ALL. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING. ?