Yesterday we talked about God being gracious and today we continue by asking God to bless us with His presence once again. In order for us to take the land and keep the charge, we must have God’s blessing upon us. Numbers 6:24 “The Lord bless you and keep you; 25 the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; 26 the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace. 27 “So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.” The church has followed in the footsteps of Israel and has disobeyed God and now we are seeing the results of God turning his face from us, the reason the church is powerless today. This is why we must follow in the footsteps of the disciples as they waited on God to pour out his Spirit in power. Romans 8:25 “But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.” Psalm 37:7 “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.” Habakkuk 3:16 “I heard and my heart pounded, my lips quivered at the sound; decay crept into my bones, and my legs trembled. Yet I will wait patiently for the day of calamity to come on the nation invading us.” We too are waiting for God to hear our cry as the enemy has invaded our land (abomination that causes desolation) but we remain faithful in our waiting knowing that God always keeps his promises. The end result of our waiting will be new clothes. Luke 24:49 “I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.” Yes God already sent his Spirit but in our disobedience to the whole counsel of the word of God he has turned His face from us. We cannot carry out his mission unless he once again turns his face to shine upon us and pours out His Spirit in power.

            Psalm 67:1 “May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine on us—2 so that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations. 3 May the peoples praise you, God; may all the peoples praise you. 4 May the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you rule the peoples with equity and guide the nations of the earth. 5 May the peoples praise you, God; may all the peoples praise you. 6 The land yields its harvest; God, our God, blesses us. 7 May God bless us still, so that all the ends of the earth will fear him.”