“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” 1 Peter 2:9 NIV
I love to dig up truths in God’s Word and find connections in Judaism and Christianity! I love the “aha” moment when I receive Holy Spirit revelation!
My family enjoys participating in the Jewish Feasts- they are so full of rich symbolism and add a fullness to our holiday celebrations. Chanukah or Hanukkah also known as the Festival of Lights or Feast of Dedication-is one we particularly like for SO many reasons; presents, jelly donuts, potato Latkes, a countdown of lighting candles on the Menorah, and the deep reflection of “Light” coming into the world!
In ancient times after the temple of the Lord had been desecrated by looting invaders, the Jewish people cleaned and reconstructed the temple by removing idols, impurities and restoring it to its rightful condition. “Chanukah” is a celebration of the provision of light that happened during this rededication of the temple (the dwelling place of the Lord). God performed a miracle by allowing the candles in the Menorah to burn for 8 days when there was only a tiny portion of pure oil left to burn. The Jewish people saw God’s provision and celebrated with a reconsecration of the temple- the dwelling place of the Lord. They honor this memory of God’s provision of light every year.
Similarly, we are also called “temples” of the Holy Spirit-
“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;” 1 Corinthians 6:19 NIV
Chanukah becomes the perfect time for us Christians to rededicate our hearts to the Lord. A time to clean up our “temple”, a time to ask the Lord to open our eyes to any idols we have erected in our lives and to humbly remove any darkness so that our light will shine!
“See to it, then, that the light within you is not darkness. Therefore, if your whole body is full of light, and no part of it dark, it will be just as full of light as when a lamp shines its light on you.” Luke 11:35-36 NIV
Whether you adopt the Festival of Light into your holidays or not, be encouraged to fan your flame so you can SHINE in this dark world!
🕎 Rae-Ellen Sanders & The Help Club for Moms Team
In her lifetime, she traveled the world exercising gifts of hospitality and a passion for missions. She now lives in the beautiful state of Colorado with her beloved husband Brian & busy crew.
She loves to be creative with cooking and meets friends for coffee. Rae-Ellen says,"My sweetest coffee dates are with Jesus!"
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