February 23

Exodus 13:3-8 (NIV)
3 Then Moses said to the people, “Commemorate this day, the day you came out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery, because the LORD brought you out of it with a mighty hand… 6 For seven days eat bread made without yeast and on the seventh day hold a festival to the LORD…. 8 On that day tell your son, ‘I do this because of what the LORD did for me when I came out of Egypt.’

This is not the only festival that Israel celebrates, but I am struck by their celebration and our lack of celebration. The why and the how are so meaningful and have the memory of their deliverance! May I suggest that we institute more festivals in our lives that are meaningful. It just seems like our Easter comes and goes. Maybe there is something to the going on for seven days. I will tell you this, that when we come together – on Sundays, Wednesdays or any other day, we should be celebrating our deliverance from slavery. It seems to me that God has us on this track as a church, when many churches (gatherings) come together to only learn. However as much as I am enjoying our celebrations, I think God wants us to be very purposeful in them and never lose focus on the “why” we celebrate. Maybe once a year, we should hold a seven day festival at our church and in our homes in honor of the Lord. I know that many people celebrate the Lord daily, but I am talking about a consecration to the Lord for a week. Something to think about.