Numbers 6:26

NASB	NLT	VOICE
26 The Lord lift up His face to you, And give you peace.’	26 May the Lord show you his favor and give you his peace.’	26 The Eternal lift up His countenance to look upon you and give you peace.

Strong Relationship Strengthen Peace

For God to “show you his favor”, it means that God is revealing His favor and attention. In the ancient Near East, a king lifting His face towards one of His subjects shows approval and goodwill. God’s favor represents His presence and blessing, showing how personal and relational God is with His children. God engages with us attentively and responsively. This previews how Jesus shares God’s grace, because Jesus embodies God’s favor and presence with His creation.

God’s favor for humanity gives us peace. In the context of God’s words to Aaron, peace is a divine gift given from His favor and presence. Historically, a lot of Israel’s peace came from their covenant relationship with God. This peace is internal, reflecting a state of wholeness and well-being. Jesus is known as the “Prince of Peace,” fulfilling the promise ultimate peace through reconciliation with God. What Jesus offers is a preview of the eternal peace believers get to experience in the Kingdom of God.

REFLECTION CHECKPOINT: Do you believe that the deeper your relationship is with God, the more you can start to feel God’s peace?

Sharing God’s Favor with Others

Believers are recipients of God’s favor, and we are called to reflect His love and peace to others. When we are shown God’s favor, we have an obligation to share that favor with those around us. When God’s revealing of His favor is compared to a king showing approval to one of His subjects, it reminded me that we are called to share a similar approval to all people. It’s not meaning that we are called to just accept everyone’s lifestyle, beliefs, and more as they are, but to treat all people with the same love and respect that they deserve and that God gifts to us. I personally believe that everyone is entitled to believe and do whatever they need, as long as they are not hurting themselves and others.

When we receive this peace, we find a state of wholeness and well-being. It does not mean that we get to avoid hardships and stress. It means we can find a place of confidence and wholeness in moments of stress. It means that we can get a source of tranquility from these moments because God is with us. We find a source of strength to do uncomfortable things and have tough conversations when we would often avoid it and run away from it. We find a source of wisdom to provide to others that we often wouldn’t say or follow because God removes our own self and experiences out of the way so that His teachings can come through us. We find a source of confidence to share our story so that we can connect with others through our stories, not by teaching them. The goal is to walk away with peace and with love in all circumstances.  When God turns his face towards us in peace, it empowers us to look to others that the world ignores and rejects. This peace isn’t hoarded, but shared as concrete acts of justice and care.

REFLECTION CHECKPOINT: Think back over your past conversations. Do they come across as loving and peaceful, or do they come across as harsh and judgmental?

PRAY Action

Praise God for His gift of favor. To receive such a pleasant gift from our Heavenly Creator is something that we can ever be grateful for.

Read Revelation 21:4

Ask God for His eternal Peace. His peace can help us remove the unrest in our life and replace it with stability, calmness, and His strength.

You are worthy of God’s favor. You are worthy of God’s love. Never let anyone tell you elsewise.

Next slice of manna: The Spiritual Importance of Sleep || Psalm 4:8 || Manna for the Mind #340