September 28, 2009
Today is Yom Kippur in Israel. The morning sun is just touching the horizon and not a vehicle is moving in the streets. Only people walking and visiting and praying. I too am in prayer, and arose early to pen these thoughts and prayers to share with you and whomever you choose to share this with. Yom kippur has a very different feel to it here in the Land of Israel. There is a much more somber tone than other places where I have celebrated this time. People are much more reflective here. Yes, on any other day of the year, they are as driven and hyper as anywhere else in the world, but on Shabbat and the High Shabbatons, especially Yom Kippur, everything stops--rests from the harried pace of the world and comes aside to spend time with YHWH. Some people who are not particularly religious use the time to spend with their families and friends. It was wonderful last evening to walk along the streets and see all the families greeting each other and the kids with their bikes and trikes and whatever other means of transport they could muster and take these streets from the cars and turn them into a giant fellowship hall. Kids would push their coasters up the hill and zoom down--smiles pasted on their faces. Once and awhile there was a scolding for a near miss and a wagging finger from Abba to be more careful. I could just see the morning headline, "Trike and Bike Collide at HaBracha Intersection--No Major Injurues Reported".
We have been challenged here to reflect on our lives before the perfect light of YHWH's presence. We have been exhorted to search within and bring our defects before His throne now, voluntarily and receive the cleansing that He offers before we are commanded to appear before Him on the Day of Judgement and allow Him to find our defects. Either way, we appear before Him either in mercy or in judgement. The choice is ours. Mercy triumphs over justice, and that is the way YHWH prefers for us to operate. If we don't think we have defects, He reminds us that "the heart of man is deceitful above all things and desparately wicked". Some of us think we are "good" people, just go to any funeral and hear all the good things said in the eulogy and then listen to the comments made later by those who really knew the person. We may even have the best of intentions, but sometimes, things don't turn out as expected and we hurt people we love. Or sometimes we are just careless and people suffer for it. All of this stuff is what we can bring before the King of the Universe and offer as our worship to Him. Coming before Him to touch our lives and restore our Shalom. Remember, Shalom's full meaning is: destroying the strong leading (authority) that brings caos into our lives. The enemy seeks to rob, kill and destroy, and YHWH seeks to restore, recreate, redeem and bring us to our full redemptive purpose for which He created us.
On this Yom Kippur, I challenge you to bring your life before the throne of YHWH and let him restore you. Let Him recreate you , and let Him redeem you and bring you to that purpose in life for which He created you. Let Him inscribe your name into the Lamb's Book of Life. And that is the blessing that will be said over and over today, here in the Land of Israel---May your name be written in the Book of Life. Chag Samaech and Shalom.
Today is Yom Kippur in Israel. The morning sun is just touching the horizon and not a vehicle is moving in the streets. Only people walking and visiting and praying. I too am in prayer, and arose early to pen these thoughts and prayers to share with you and whomever you choose to share this with. Yom kippur has a very different feel to it here in the Land of Israel. There is a much more somber tone than other places where I have celebrated this time. People are much more reflective here. Yes, on any other day of the year, they are as driven and hyper as anywhere else in the world, but on Shabbat and the High Shabbatons, especially Yom Kippur, everything stops--rests from the harried pace of the world and comes aside to spend time with YHWH. Some people who are not particularly religious use the time to spend with their families and friends. It was wonderful last evening to walk along the streets and see all the families greeting each other and the kids with their bikes and trikes and whatever other means of transport they could muster and take these streets from the cars and turn them into a giant fellowship hall. Kids would push their coasters up the hill and zoom down--smiles pasted on their faces. Once and awhile there was a scolding for a near miss and a wagging finger from Abba to be more careful. I could just see the morning headline, "Trike and Bike Collide at HaBracha Intersection--No Major Injurues Reported".
We have been challenged here to reflect on our lives before the perfect light of YHWH's presence. We have been exhorted to search within and bring our defects before His throne now, voluntarily and receive the cleansing that He offers before we are commanded to appear before Him on the Day of Judgement and allow Him to find our defects. Either way, we appear before Him either in mercy or in judgement. The choice is ours. Mercy triumphs over justice, and that is the way YHWH prefers for us to operate. If we don't think we have defects, He reminds us that "the heart of man is deceitful above all things and desparately wicked". Some of us think we are "good" people, just go to any funeral and hear all the good things said in the eulogy and then listen to the comments made later by those who really knew the person. We may even have the best of intentions, but sometimes, things don't turn out as expected and we hurt people we love. Or sometimes we are just careless and people suffer for it. All of this stuff is what we can bring before the King of the Universe and offer as our worship to Him. Coming before Him to touch our lives and restore our Shalom. Remember, Shalom's full meaning is: destroying the strong leading (authority) that brings caos into our lives. The enemy seeks to rob, kill and destroy, and YHWH seeks to restore, recreate, redeem and bring us to our full redemptive purpose for which He created us.
On this Yom Kippur, I challenge you to bring your life before the throne of YHWH and let him restore you. Let Him recreate you , and let Him redeem you and bring you to that purpose in life for which He created you. Let Him inscribe your name into the Lamb's Book of Life. And that is the blessing that will be said over and over today, here in the Land of Israel---May your name be written in the Book of Life. Chag Samaech and Shalom.
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ReplyDeleteAm very blessed to read what the Lord is doing among you in the Land. Thank you for sharing -- it is almost as good as being there! Please give my love to the Hersheys and the Craigs.
ReplyDeleteMichele, Littleton