Blessing for the Road Ahead
By Tom Vander Well
May the Lord cause you to flourish,
both you and your children.
May you be blessed by the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
Sometimes when reading through the morning’s chapter I am struck by a thought that does not seem particularly profound or life changing. In many cases, the blog post I eventually write will explore something else I found in the chapter that is a bit meatier to the spiritual bones. That little random thought which flitted off the page will be kept to myself.
Like almost everyone else, I have been mulling over in my mind what 2022 has been, and what I want 2023 to be. Whenever you look forward and attempt to see what the future holds you inevitably face the uncertainty which accompanies such musings. As a student of history I know that even the most faithful are sometimes faced with dark and unpredictable paths. Even Jesus said that the road which leads to life is a path few find, and the way is narrow and difficult. We do not know for certain where the road into 2023 will lead.
And so, with such rumination churning in my heart and brain, I came upon the verses above from today’s psalm. The intentional speaking of a blessing is an ancient tradition which our culture has largely forgotten. This morning I felt myself standing on life’s road staring ahead, and a songwriter from 2000 years ago reached out of the depths of time on the wind of the Holy Spirit to whisper a blessing into my soul. Thanks. I needed that. Maybe you do to, and so let me pass along this blessing to you and yours:
May the Lord cause you to flourish,
both you and your children.
May you be blessed by the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
Merry Christmas 2022
Tom Vander Well believes the universe is a work of God’s artistry— embellished by Van Gough’s brush, Miles Davis’ trumpet, and Bob Dylan’s lyrics, Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos. Tolkien’s imagination, and Michael Jordan’s jump shot. He believes in hot coffee, Gregorian chants and quiet conversations with God before dawn. Michael believes that life is a journey with an eternal destination, and in having good companions for the sojourn. He also believes grace is costly and salvation is free.
Michael and his wife Wendy live in Iowa. He is an amateur actor and playwright, and regular teacher among his local Jesus followers. He serves as president and CEO of Intelligentics (formerly C. Wenger Group), a QA firm helping companies measure and improve customer service, satisfaction, and loyalty. You may find out more about Tom at his website
Feature Image by Wallpapers
Christmas Vector by Freepik
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