The Israelites conquered the Promised Land and took possession of it, one town and one city at a time. As they approached Moab, one of its princes named Balak hired a prophet named Balaam to pronounce a curse upon the advancing Israeli armies. Standing on a mountain overlooking the camp of Israel, Balak expected curses to come pouring out of Balaam’s mouth. But instead, came blessings. When he asked Balaam why, he replied that God had ‘told me to bless them, so I cannot change the blessing. He has found no wrong in the people of Jacob; he saw no fault in Israel. The Lord their God is with them, and they praise their King”’ (vv.20-21 NCV). God chose not to see the things they’d done wrong. And He chooses not to see our mistakes too, by seeing us through Christ who is perfect and whose sacrifice on the cross has covered all our sins. When the Israelites set up camp each night, they had the tents of eight tribes running vertically, and four running horizontally. This formed the shape of a big cross. As redeemed children of God, that’s how our Heavenly Father sees us. He looks at us through the cross. And since the blood of Jesus paid for every sin we’d ever commit, God sees us as accepted and righteous and complete. The Bible tells us that ‘now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ’ (Ephesians 2:13 NIV). Because God sees us in Christ, our sins no longer separate us from Him and we’re irreversibly blessed.

What Now?

Draw a picture of a cross and put it somewhere you’ll see it often. Use it as a reminder that God sees you though Jesus and that you’re irreversibly blessed.