Today we have a little something from each of the readings.
Numbers is a hard book to slog through, but here, at the end of Chapter 6 is a gem; I hope you didn't miss it.
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. (24-26)
In Hebrew, these verses build on one another; in length and in meaning. To bless is to grant gifts for the benefit of the other and "to keep" is to guard and protect---dealing with safety.
How is one blessed and kept by the LORD? the LORD comes close in order to be known by the person and the LORD's grace flows to the person (undeserved gifts). How exactly? The LORD moves toward the person (initiates the action and takes steps in our direction) in order to grant wholeness and wellness, shalom. What an incredibly beautiful promise.
The raw emotion in Psalm 42 is something most of us have felt: a longing to know God's presence. I would wager that most of us have had those times in our lives when we have wondered: where is God? We have felt that God seems to be completely missing---our prayers feel dry and empty; worship does not bring us joy; we are drained. The psalmist gives us the key to our response in these valleys of our lives: "Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my help and my God." (v. 11).
The original text of the Gospel of Mark ends at verse 8. Later two different endings (the shorter and the longer) were added. Obviously some felt the gospel wasn't complete. (remember Mark came first, so perhaps after the other Gospels were read and heard, some thought Mark needed expansion---no one knows for certain). However, Mark 16:8 is a perfect ending of the story. Because the narrative from this point on (the realization of the resurrection) is meant to be moved forward by believers, by witnesses. How will you move Jesus' reconciling ministry forward today?
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