Blessing the World

It is time for another S.O.A.P. devotional. S.O.A.P. stands for Scripture, Observation, Application, and Prayer. If you want an explanation for these sections, please read my first SOAP post.

Scripture

Numbers 6:24-27
"The Lord bless you and keep you!
The Lord let his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you!
The Lord look upon you kindly and give you peace!

Observation

This is a blessing God gave to the priests of the Israelites to say to the people. He was restoring their faith by giving them hope for happiness and prosperity in their lives, if lead through the Lord. I have heard this passage said many times, and it reminds me of an old Irish blessing:

May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind always be at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
and rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

Application

God blesses us, so we should bless each other, but not necessarily in words, but in actions. If God is smiling on us, we should smile on the world. If God is gracious to us, we should be gracious to others. If God forgives us, we should forgive others as well.  If we have God's love in our heart and we work at being like Jesus Christ, we are bound to do amazing things during our lifetime.  We may not solve world hunger, but we can make a difference in people's lives by living like Christ and bringing his blessing on those around us.

Prayer

Dearest God, Thank you for blessing my life so many times over. You have brought me family and friends who help me to walk in Your path and help me to bless the world with the gifts You have given me. Help me to see the opportunities to share Your blessing on the world. I pray that my short walk on this world can be filled with Your blessings for others.  May my mouth be filled with Your words, may my heart be filled with Your love, may my actions be Your actions, and may I see You in every corner of my life. Amen.