Lectio 6/12/24

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Lectio Reflections on Deuteronomy 33:12
12 About Benjamin he said:
“Let the beloved of the Lord rest secure in him,
    for he shields him all day long,
    and the one the Lord loves rests between his shoulders.” (NIV) 

12 Of Benjamin he said,
“May the beloved of the Lord [a]dwell in safety by Him;
He shields and covers him all the day long,
And he dwells between His shoulders.”  (Amplified Bible) 

12 Benjamin:
“God’s beloved;
    God’s permanent residence.
Encircled by God all day long,
 Encircled by God all day long,
    within whom God is at home.” (The Message) 
 

 💛 💛 💛 💛 💛

Let us hear afresh
that we are beloved.
Beloved is always where we begin. [1]
We are known and loved
by God who made us.
With this we have both
confidence and humility.
We are indeed beloved dust… [2]
Let this sink into my bones.
Let this allow me to be secure.
Let this help me let go of worry
and rest and delight
in the joy of who You are.
Let me see more of your loving heart.  
Let me gaze on this.
And as Your beauty fills my soul,
let your transforming power
make me whole. [3]
Your love shields us and covers us.
Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left. [4]
We are encircled by You
all day long. [5]
We, the beloved, rest
between His shoulders.
What a beautiful picture of a child
on a parent’s back
or of a lost sheep
rescued and carried
home on the Shepherd’s back
or of a tired and weary body
collapsing into a hug
of someone who loves them
very much.
We, the beloved,
are God’s permanent residence.
We, the beloved,
can’t make God love us any more
or any less.
God’s love is not dependent
on us and does not waver
as our fickle emotions do.
GOD is love.
God IS love.
God is LOVE.
And we are beloved.
Let us rest in that today.
Let this lens be the one
through which
we view our day
and all those whom we meet today.
[1] Jan Richardson, https://paintedprayerbook.com/2016/02/11/lent-1-beloved-is-where-we-begin/
[2] Credit to Myrna Olson for putting these words together on Ash Wednesday 2022
[3] https://hymnary.org/text/jesus_i_am_resting_resting
[4] St. Patrick’s Prayer

[5] Deut. 33:12, The Message

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