Hebrews 13:20-21 May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

This is a truly magnificent pastoral prayer/benediction. The focus is on God rather than on the one being blessed, much less the one doing the blessing. It reminds us that Jesus is the Great Shepherd, so all the faults and mistakes of merely human shepherds are superseded and overcome. That doesn’t let pastors off the hook in terms of dedication and faithfulness, but it is a reminder that the results don’t ultimately depend on them. It also reminds us that the covenant sealed with the blood of Jesus is eternal, and can never be broken. Further, it speaks of God as the God of Peace. There is much that would deny us peace on every level, and it is only in God that we find the peace that our hearts yearn for. This isn’t a passive, boring peace but an exciting, active peace that progresses to ever greater and deeper joy, and the world can’t really imagine it. With the object of the prayer firmly established, he goes on to specify his request, and here too the focus is on God, that those being prayed for would be made perfect in doing good things, that is, what God wants. The result of believers doing God’s will is to be, and certainly will be, glory to Christ throughout eternity.

Paul gave some slightly more detailed prayers/benedictions, (Ephesians 3:14-21 comes to mind) but this one appeals to me because of the pastoral focus. I have always felt inadequate as a pastor, and at times envious of friends who have seemed more gifted in that area. Preaching has never been a problem for me – it doesn’t take long for me to start preaching whoever I’m with! However, pastoral ministry, the day-to-day nitty gritty of caring for the sheep, has not been my strong suit. Over the years I have gotten better, but I am sharply aware that it is a choice, and not just something that comes naturally. That may be an advantage, now that I think about it! I am also lacking in administrative gifting, but it has been pointed out to me that Moses didn’t have that either, yet God called him to a task that required an enormous amount of administration. His inability kept him humbly dependent on God, and that was a good thing. I have to be no less humbly dependent on God, but I can have the assurance that Jesus is indeed the Great Shepherd of the sheep, and He can and will do the job through me if I will allow Him to do so.

Father, thank You for pointing out to me just now as I wrote how You have indeed grown me as a pastor. Thank You that I’ll be able to go with a young man to the doctor this morning. There seems to be a very real possibility of melanoma, made worse by how long he’s put this off because he was afraid of surgery. I ask Your grace and mercy for him, and I stand against this attack on his health and potentially his life. May the diagnosis and the decisions to follow be accurate, not just medically but according to Your plan. I pray that he would gain from this the good that You promise, that the plans the devil means for evil would be turned around for great blessing, for the sake of the Body of Christ and for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!