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The past 2 months leading up to this year’s Feast of Tabernacles has been a...a deusy in American lingo and a doozy in Australian slang. I saw the word deusy describe a car on the internet just before I started to write this piece and thought to myself that I hadn’t heard this word for years! Where have you been, deusy do or doozy don’t — old fashioned dialogue seemingly relegated to the alphabet junk box amongst jargon that is considered square or obsolete. Language is so fascinating isn’t it, but then again I digress. The sighting of this word from yesteryear is rather interesting in timing, impeccable at best, or perhaps just coincidental? So here I am using this word to describe the events of the past couple of months because they were incredibly unusual and certainly extraordinary.
Pre Feast trials have been rather annoying this year due to the number of them and the relentless way they just seem to keep coming like squadrons of attack mosquitos with voracious appetites zooming about sight unseen and just out of reach, coming in for a landing to pierce the epidermal layer of skin and then the dermis or dermal layer with their penetrating dart-like proboscis, withdraw blood that is not willingly given as a donation, then leaving me with a painful site that takes time to heal. Annoying — very annoying.
Some of these trials have set me on edge, caused great stress, made me angry, stole my joy, and wore me out to the point I wanted the Kingdom here right now! Had enough, thanks but no thanks! Sound familiar? The enemy is going his hardest to wear out the saints, especially this year, and he is very good at it. That’s his job when he took it upon himself to make war with God and attempt to overthrow God’s perfect government. Satan managed to get one third of all the angels (and this is not a small number by any means) to listen to his premeditated scheming wiles, fed by calculated and manipulative cunning thoughts interwoven with lying tactics to tempt, but to also take action in this revolt so that they lost their proper place in heaven with God (Jude 1:6 and Revelation 12:4). The devil not only set out to drive a wedge between the angels and God but he weakened them into such a state they no longer have any relationship with God, and has been carrying out his diabolical plan on humans ever since Garden of Eden times when Adam and Eve lived about 6,000 years ago.
We will keep the Feast no matter how hard the devil tries to thwart our preparations. It may be that some of us will stagger in, limp, or drag our feet making effort one step at a time rather than marching in triumphantly after another year of battle in the world. Some will be wheeled in by others, some will operate electric scooters, wheelchairs, some on crutches or in Moon boots. Then some will need to stay at home because of COVID-19 restrictions, or from debilitating effects of illnesses such as cancer, or in hospital, hospice, and nursing homes, but their willing hearts and minds will be with those who can participate physically.
You know what — it doesn’t matter as long as we remain close to God and attend in whatever capacity is afforded to us. He knows our heart and whether we desire Him with all of our being. When there God will give us the energy to fellowship, to listen intently to all the wonderfully inspired messages He has for us, and soak up this spiritual energy that is designed to give us strength supernaturally. We may be weak physically as we get on in years but one thing is for sure — when we leave the Feast of Tabernacles we will feel like we are walking 10 feet tall and ready to conquer another year in our mini kingdoms of our local areas. This is where the battle is fought in the wilderness one day at a time. Are you weary and battle sore? Then the Feast is for you! Come up and rejoice with ALL of your heart like a child wide eyed and full of wonder at the glory of God.
Meanwhile, there are so many sick, injured, dying, and suffering amongst us. We keep on keeping on to give God the glory. He gets the glory. For creating us, loving us, sacrificing all for us, and helping us by providing us with the Helper dwelling within, guiding us and showing us the way. No matter how much we are suffering mentally, physically, emotionally, or cognitively, we must draw all we can from the words of Paul in Philippians 3:7-8 “But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ”. As Paul said everything in this life is as rubbish, refuse, to be thrown away, discarded, temporary, not to be kept, it has no value when compared to the spiritual things pertaining to what we have been given. Now we do not throw our family members away but rather put God first, and if we do that, the biblical principles we follow will ensure we care for our families and provide for them (Matthew 6:33). Even the wisest man on earth who wanted for nothing, King Solomon, once said “all is vanity” and this is recorded for us in Ecclesiastes 1:2.
Putting God first may be challenging. Can you give up a comfortable family home with built-in swimming pool because you now need to tithe? Can you give up children who no longer want to attend services but join the world in all it has to offer? Can you give up the best job you ever had and never wanted to leave it? Or can you give up all of your children and family for the sake of following Christ? Some of us have had to do all of these things willingly or did so somewhat reluctantly initially, but we did it for the love of God. It takes time to get our minds and hearts to where they need to be with humble obedience. Giving up my children nearly broke me but God gave me the supernatural peace to endure (John 14:27). I never knew this peace existed, and until experienced they were words on a page that I agreed with but had not deeply felt nor connected with physically or spiritually. Subsequently, the insights into Abraham sacrificing Isaac meant so much more too because I related on some level.
Surprisingly, letting go of the job was harder for me than the sale of my home as it was so sustainable and it felt like I was on a nice holiday every week as it was that wonderful. When I asked God for a more sustainable job I never knew I would receive it so quickly and that it would be a whole lot better than I could have ever imagined. When God blesses us He knows how to bless way above and beyond our wildest imagination. However after only 6 months God did require this of me to give it up and it had to happen through events I had no control over. Time to move on and just be grateful for this work during 2020. Always be thankful. He is telling me...all is temporary...all is vanity...get ready for what is to come. The door has been closed on this chapter of my life. What is ahead for my personal life I have no idea about but all I know is God’s will for me is the best way I can live my life and my will is not!
Once again I derive great solace and comfort from God’s beautiful and meaningful Psalms. One that has piqued my interest and added joy is Psalm 3 and the following scripture is taken from within this — Psalm 3:3 “But You, O Lord, are a shield for me, my glory and the One who lifts up my head”. God is my glory, your glory, our glory. We are sharing in His glory and in the end we shall be glorified in the presence of all peoples who have ever lived. This is mightily astounding and wonderful to my mind when reading about all the scriptures revealing how God shares His glory with His children. Just a few are mentioned here as suggestions to read and meditate upon.
Romans 8:18 “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us”.
2 Corinthians 4:17, “For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison”.
1 Peter 5:10, “After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you”.
Ephesians 3:13, “Therefore I ask you not to lose heart at my tribulations on your behalf, for they are your glory” said Paul to the Ephesians, and by extension to us.
And so, as I stood at my kitchen sink as is my custom each morning, giving thanks to God for the creation while I gratefully viewed the potted colour of various hanging plants, a few tears were shed at the reality of the bad news received this week about my health. As I stood there praying to our Father with a lump in my throat and the sting behind my eyes, He placed a bright rainbow so dazzlingly clear and vibrant in front of me as I just happened to look up briefly into a fixed place beyond the roof next door. Seconds went by and then the rainbow was gone. Father always knows how to turn our tears into joy even when we want and need to cry with grief and sorrow for what we have lost. His care, concern, love, inspiration, encouragement, edification and blessings of joy are perfect in timing even down to the second and I hope that I will always marvel greatly at experiencing each and every one of them knowing that our great God is with us and for us (Romans 8:30-31).
The culmination or pinnacle of our zeal and joy for God’s glory will occur as the Bible says in the final book of Revelation. Revelation 21:4 states that He will wipe away all our tears, and reveals that the time is coming when we will all join as one to give God the glory with such zeal because we will not only share in His glory and be filled with everlasting joy due to all the former things of this life passing away, but also that there is no longer any place or reason for sorrow or sadness. “Even so, come, Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:20). Are you ready to give God all your zeal, and to rejoice wholeheartedly at the 2020 Feast of Tabernacles no matter the trials of our times?