Then the elders and all those at the gate said, “We are witnesses. May the LORD make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the house of Israel. May you have standing in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem. Ruth 4:11

If I truly grasped the weight of my words, I would handle them with far greater reverence. I would strip away careless speech, choosing instead to let every word sow something holy. A blessing is never lost; it doesn’t evaporate into the air or dissolve with time. It roots itself in the soil of a person’s life and bears fruit according to God’s own laws of sowing and reaping. The elders who blessed Boaz that day could not see beyond the moment, but they understood the power of covenant language. Their culture knew that blessings and curses shaped destinies. They spoke boldly, invoking the legacy of Rachel and Leah over Ruth. What they could not have imagined was that Ruth’s son would become the grandfather of King David, and that centuries later, another King—Jesus—would rise from that very lineage in Bethlehem. Their blessing reached farther than their understanding.

There’s a beautiful tradition practiced in many churches. At the end of the service, the congregation stands and grows quiet while the pastor lifts his hand to speak a blessing over the people. It isn’t a formality. It isn’t a polite way to dismiss the crowd. It reflects something far older and far deeper. In the Old Testament, words spoken in blessing carried real spiritual weight. A blessing was viewed as an act that set something in motion. Isaac’s blessing over Jacob shaped a nation. Moses’ blessing over the tribes carried God’s intentions forward. When a blessing was spoken, it was believed that God Himself would honor and act upon those words.

On a more personal note ~ I realize that I have the power today to bless another. What I speak may be the catalyst for profound change. And conversely, what I spew in anger has the potential to become their prison. May my language leave a taste of the divine.

So I offer this blessing now: “Father, I bless each person who reads these words. Draw them gently beyond their comfort zones and into deeper communion with You. Let them discover the riches of Your love and grace. Surround their homes with Your warring angels and make Your presence the glory in their midst. Keep them from evil and strengthen them to stand firm against the enemy. Prosper their children spiritually. Sit with them at their tables and surprise them with holy conversation. Amen.”