“Each year you must celebrate three festivals in my honor…
No one may appear before me without an offering…
Bring the very best…to the house of the Lord your God.”
Exodus 23:14, 15, 19
I always assumed the Festivals in the Old Testament were only for Jews to celebrate. However, while reading this chapter recently, it dawned on me I had missed some opportunities for my own celebrations, and perhaps it was time to catch up!
I noticed the Festivals were celebrations in God’s honor. The Passover honored GOD for what He had done when He delivered them from Egypt. The Festivals of Harvest and Final Harvest honored GOD for what He had provided. The people gave back to God the first and best from HIS blessing on their harvest.
While contemplating my own life that day, I recalled specific times of deliverance and marked them on my calendar: June 1956, when I invited Jesus into my life…June 10, 1997, the day I began the journey out bondage from my judgmental attitude…January 2010 when I began my journey out of fear. Why not remember those times and celebrate them in God’s honor? Why not give back to Him the fruit of each new freedom?
So, I made a choice: Freed from my fears, I will honor God with my spoken and written words, not only during those celebration weeks, but every day of my life!
Now, what about you? How will you choose to remember and celebrate?
