Back to School 
Pause
Lean in. God is renewing, shaping, and transforming you even now.
Listen
Let God grant us grace and bless us; let God make his face shine on us, so that your way becomes known on earth, so that your salvation becomes known among all the nations.
Psalm 67:1-2
Think
A pastor I worked with once invited the congregation to receive the blessing at the end of worship with their hands cupped together, as if collecting this holy reminder like water in a cup. Then, after the blessing was spoken, she encouraged everyone to fling their arms open wide. It was a simple reminder: God’s blessings are never meant to stop with us—they are meant to flow through us and out from us.
It’s easy to believe that success, popularity, good grades, or making the team will bring happiness. But Psalm 67 starts in a different place. It reminds us that God’s grace and blessing are already ours. We don’t have to earn God’s love or prove our worth.
When we know we are already loved and blessed by God, we’re free to stop chasing approval and start sharing kindness. This year, receive God’s blessing with open hands—and then open your arms to bless others.
Aaron Shoppa
Question to Ponder:
How might you share God’s blessing to transform someone’s week through a word of encouragement or an act of kindness?
Pray
Holy One, your blessings surround me today and every day, nourishing me with your abundance. Help me to share your blessings with others. Amen.
Go
God has already given you what you need. Go forth renewed and ready to transform the world through God’s love.
