Meditate on Joy today.
On the fourteenth day of the first month,
you must celebrate the LORD's Passover. On the following day—the fifteenth day
of the month—a joyous, seven-day
festival will begin, but no bread made with yeast may be eaten. ... The seventh
day of the festival will be another official day for holy assembly, and no
ordinary work may be done on that day. Numbers 28:16-17, 25
God was pretty specific about when and how
to celebrate these days of festivals and holidays. Passover was no exception
and it was one that required a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. For Jesus that included
a pilgrimage at Passover was when He was left behind as His family started back
to Nazareth without Him (see Luke 2:39-52).
He was twelve years old at the time. Passover had ended, but He stayed
in the Temple talking with the teachers for three days. Three days is an
important length of time in Jesus’ life. Lots of life and death things can
happen in three days…or in seven days. Here in this Bible passage the Lord is
directing Moses specifically how to celebrate the Passover. It is to be a
joyous time.
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| Is the Fruit of the Spirit in your heart? |
Has this Passover time been joyous for you
this year? Likely you have been isolated from family and friends during this
Stay-at-Home mandate with the Coronavirus mandate. The joy you feel is only
that which you allow in your heart. That is the key…allow. It is a choice we
all make in yielding to God. Will we have joy
in our hearts and lives or not? Joy can be felt anytime…but it is a choice to
actually feel it. You have probably heard the expression “Happiness is a
Choice” that was even the title of a book by Frank Minirth and Paul Meier.
Happiness happens as a result of choices and circumstances—but usually only in
good times. Joy happens within us as a result of our relationship with
Jesus…with God. It is a product of the Holy Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit
is…love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and
self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). Joy
can happen even during dire and traumatic circumstances, as a choice in
yielding to God. That joy is beyond comprehension—but gives us a peace and
assurance that God is with us…no matter what. Choose God…get joy. No guarantee,
but it is likely to happen. Look for joy. You can create joy—by choice at times
when you could be discouraged…and you just choose not to be discouraged…or you
see something good coming out of the ashes of regret, discomfort,
discouragement, depression or disaster. Looking for good? As the prophet Hosea
said:
'Plant the good seeds of righteousness, and
you will harvest a crop of love. Plow up the hard ground of your hearts, for
now is the time to seek the LORD, that he may come and shower righteousness
upon you.' Hosea 10:12
Now is the time to plant good things with
those you can contact via phone, email, text messages, letters or cards.
Encourage others. Seek the Lord while there is time. And just look at all the
time you have now. What will you accomplish in these coming days…watch several
more movies or spread joy in the lives of others for the Lord? The choice is
yours.
Prayer
~ Lord, as Isaiah wrote…Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed.
Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows. Isaiah 1:17.
During this time of isolation, it is easy to be discouraged, but help us not to
be discouraged, but to encourage others.
©
2020 Text and photo by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.
Unless
otherwise indicated, all scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation,
copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of
Tyndale House
Publishers, Inc. Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
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