Beginning tonight and ending Monday, December 30, our Jewish brothers and sisters will be celebrating Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights.
Over 2,000 years ago, the Syrian Greeks desecrated the Temple in Jerusalem. They sought to force the Jews to abandon their faith and worship idols.
A small band of faith filled men attacked the Greeks and, against all odds, they defeated them and took back the Temple.
When the Israelites recaptured their temple from the Syrian Greeks, they recovered a single vial of sanctified oil. There was other oil but it was defiled.
One vial could only provide light for one day and night. The temple was to be lit 24/7. Yet, when the Menorah was lit with the only sacred oil on hand, it continued to shine for eight days. This was a miracle to be sure!
These eight days gave the priests enough time to consecrate more oil to keep the lamp lit as necessary.
The Victory!
The Jews had won the physical victory against the Greeks. The miracle of the Menorah shone bright with the spiritual victory of Judaism itself and a clear indication of God’s hand on the Jewish people.
A Hanukkah Menorah
The Menorah in the picture is one I have had a very long time. It is a Hanukkah Menorah with nine branches.
The center candle, the Shammash, stands higher than the others. It is the servant candle used to light the other candles one at a time over the eight days.
Jesus, the servant Son, came as the light of the world. He brings His light to each of us, one at a time.
On the Feast of Dedication, (commemorating the re- dedication of the second Temple in Jerusalem), Jesus went into the Synagogue and said to the Jews that His works bore witness of Him that He came from the Father. (John 10:22-27)
He came as Messiah, the light and salvation for all mankind.
Light or Dark?
As Christians we know Jesus is the light of the world. His light shines before all men all the time. He says, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have light of life.” (John 8:12) If you choose to follow Him you will not walk in darkness.
What does that really mean?
Living in the world or by the standards of the world can lead you into an obscurity that you may not even recognize at first.
Over time you lose peace in your daily life. You have little hope for your future. A gloominess or darkness permeates the atmosphere around you. With heaviness that obscurity seems to blanket your world.
If this sounds familiar, make the decision today to allow His light to saturate your heart (it is always a heart issue).
First in Your Heart
How would you do this? Advent is the perfect season to purpose to prepare your heart. As we await His coming we also prepare for His second coming.
This very day you have the opportunity to commit or recommit to put Him first.
Put Him first in your heart and thoughts. You are always first in His heart. He wants to be first in yours.
Put His Word first by spending time daily reading the Bible and thinking about what He would say to you personally. The Bible is His Word to you. Read it, learn it and think on it.
As you read His Word actively live His Word. Put daily prayer first on your list. Put thanksgiving on your prayer list. By His Spirit release judgment and love others. Develop His heart for your fellow man.
Make the Shift Today!
As you shift your focus to one of gratitude, what you see in the world around you begins to change. As you let Him take first place in your heart, His light shines and the darkness dissipates.
As His light shines for you as His follower it will shine through you. “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.” (Matthew 5:14)
This is your call, this is your mission: to let His light be seen by all you encounter because His light shines first in you!
A Prayer
Father God, as we come before You on this eve of the commemoration of the re-dedication of the Temple in Jerusalem may we stand in solidarity with our Jewish brothers and sisters. We pray for the peace of Jerusalem.
May we, who have submitted to the Lordship of Your Son, take this time to rededicate our personal temples. As we prepare this week to celebrate the coming of the Light of the World, let us be ever mindful of His second coming.
Convict us to release all that is not of You. Anoint us to bring His light to all we encounter each and every day. Empower us to be the light in this dark world.
Use us in this season to bring many to the light of Messiah and the grace of Your presence. Keep us ever vigilant as we walk through each day. Let Your glory shine through in each of our lives this week.
Let us walk ever worthy of our calling in You and reflect You in our every thought, word and action.
Thank You for Your grace and tender mercies.
We pray in agreement in Jesus’ precious and holy name.
Amen and Amen.
It Is Never Too Late!
If you have not yet made the decision to accept Jesus Christ into your heart, do it now. Do not wait another minute. Speak to Him from your heart (for it is always a heart issue). Tell Him you have fallen short in your life. Sincerely apologize for your sins. Ask Him to cleanse you and come into your heart and be Lord over your life. From this moment forward, let His Spirit guide you along the narrow road that leads to everlasting life!
“Yet who knows whether you have come to the Kingdom for such a time as this?”
Esther 4:14
Pray for America
“If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
