May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. —2 Corinthians 13:14 NLT
Over one hundred times in our Bibles we find benedictions or “blessings”—beautiful and meaningful prayers inviting God’s favor and protection. One of the kindest, sweetest gifts we can give to one another is to offer a blessing.
When my grandchildren lived with us for a year while their Daddy was in Afghanistan, I loved laying my hand on their little heads one at a time on a Sunday night (my night to put them to bed) and saying a blessing over them! I love it when my pastor ends a worship service with a blessing for the congregation. I bow my head and receive the words of encouragement and hope and prayer that come from him as I step out of the sanctuary to face a new week. Blessings are rich in love and grace and power because the ultimate Giver of a blessing is God Himself.
In my Bible reading recently, I came across this beautiful blessing and was struck by its simplicity and wording. I love the way these words include each one of the three persons of the Trinity in one compact, little sentence. In fact, it meant so much to me, that I decided to share it with you today. Read it again, taking in each word thoughtfully, and be blessed through this blessing:
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,
the love of God, and the fellowship
of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
To understand the beginning, let’s look at the ending. Paul’s desire is that three specific qualities will be “with you all.” He’s addressing fellow Christians who live in Corinth and leaves no one in that church out of the blessing. Because these words are part of God’s Word written to Christians, it’s still a great blessing to speak into the lives of our dear ones today. What exactly does Paul want to be with us in this passage?
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul starts with Jesus in this blessing, and the quality he emphasizes is Jesus’ grace—a grace that is abundant and rich and stunning! Jesus died for sinners who did not yet even know Him and for people who currently hated Him. He asked forgiveness for the very ones who were mocking Him, gambling for His garments, and hammering nails into His flesh. Grace. Undeserved pardon. Oh, to bless someone with a prayer that the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with them is a rich blessing indeed.
The love of God. Paul next moves to God, who demonstrated His deep love for us by giving His Son, His only Son, as a ransom for our sorry selves. His love for us has been steady and strong since before the creation of the world. John says that “God is love” (1 John 4:16, emphasis mine). God’s love is deep and wide and high and permanent for all who come to Him and ask to be His children. To bless someone with a prayer that the love of God Himself be with them is an awesome blessing indeed.
The fellowship of the Holy Spirit. Paul’s blessing includes the Holy Spirit, God’s great gift to His church, His bride. Before Jesus ascended to Heaven, the Holy Spirit did not reside in all believers. Since Pentecost, when the Spirit descended on the disciples like a fire and a mighty wind, the Holy Spirit now takes up residence inside all who profess Jesus as Lord. The word “fellowship” means companionship, walking alongside one another in agreement. Fellowship is defined as “the act of people sharing activities, goals, interests, duties, trials, troubles and alike with one another in a group” (World English Dictionary). Think about it. With God the Holy Spirit within us, we are never alone. He companions with us through all our activities, duties, trials, and troubles. He counsels, comforts, teaches, and so much more. We are drawn to fellow Christians because we share that same Spirit. What a richness we find in friendships with friends who are aligned with Christ. To bless someone with a prayer that the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with them is a sweet blessing indeed.
We don’t “do” blessings as often today, and many of our pastors have abandoned the practice of blessing the people. I think that’s a shame. I was thrilled when Kari Jobe and Cody Carnes with Elevation Worship came out with the song entitled “The Blessing” near the beginning of the Covid pandemic in 2019. I still can’t listen to those beautiful words taken straight from the Bible without tears streaming down my face. There’s a richness to blessing people that shows grace, love, and fellowship. Let’s offer the kindness of a blessing to the people we love this week, asking God to bring that blessing to fruition in their lives. Instead of closing in prayer as I normally do, hear this blessing once again from my heart to all of you who, like me, bow the knee to the Lord Jesus:
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,
the love of God, and the fellowship
of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.
You are loved,
Sharon
Sweet Selah Ministries
Vision
To inspire a movement away from the belief that “busy is better”
and toward the truth of God’s Word that stillness and knowing
Him matter most—and will be reflected in more effective work and service
Mission
To offer biblical resources and retreats that help women pause (Selah)
and love God more deeply as they know Him more intimately (Sweet)
Donate
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Click over to our Donation page … and thanks.
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