Then Jacob blessed Pharaoh again before leaving his court.

Genesis 47:10

When he finally had an audience with Pharaoh, Jacob blessed Pharaoh, twice, in fact. At first this might seem odd to us, because we'd expect Pharaoh, the most powerful man in Jacob's world, to offer rather than receive blessings. But Jacob had an honored role in Pharaoh's court, both because of his old age and because he was the father of Pharaoh's esteemed vizier. Thus he blessed Pharaoh, who gladly received Jacob's blessing.

The verb "to bless" has a variety of meanings, including: to wish someone well, to endow someone with a good future, or to speak well of. The biblical blessing is often a kind of wish prayer, in which the persons offering a blessing state what they want God to do for those receiving the blessing. It's a way of using words to encourage others and to ask God to do good to them.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION: Are there people in your life whom you have the opportunity to bless? Perhaps your children or grandchildren, even your subordinates and supervisors at work? Do you use your words to encourage the people who look up to you?

PRAYER:  Dear Lord, I'm impressed today by the way Jacob blessed Pharaoh. He took the opportunity he had been given to encourage the man who had been so good to his son and to ask for your favor upon Pharaoh.

Lord, help me to seize the opportunity to bless people when I have the chance. May I use my words to build up those who look up to me. May I let them know how I am praying for them. Teach me, Lord, to bless the people in my life. Amen.