So here's a sneak peak of what I wrote for March 31:
I am a celebrator. Birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, the
first day of Spring – you name it, I like to celebrate it. And I love that God
does, too. In today’s passages, we see several instances of God’s party-lovin’.
In Deuteronomy 16, God tells his people to keep the Feast of
Weeks – seven weeks after the first harvest they are “rejoice before the LORD
your God” (16: 11); just a few verses later, we read about the Feast of Booths,
during which they spend seven days where they also “rejoice in feasting”
(16:14) so that they “will be altogether joyful” (16:15b). Did you notice that?
Seven days of rejoicing, feasting and
being joyful. That sounds like a great party, if I’ve ever heard of one! I’ve
thrown some big shin-digs in my day but never one that lasted a whole week! I
love the lavish, abundant celebration God plans for his people, “because the
LORD your God will bless you in all your produce and in all the work of your
hands” (16:15a).
As we keep reading we find in our New Testament passage the
feeding of the 5,000. We’ve already read an account of this story in both
Matthew and Mark but reading it again today I’m once more struck by the hugeness
of this miracle. The throngs have been waiting for Jesus and when he comes down
from the mountain, they are crowded around, anxious for him to teach and heal
them. All day they are with him, listening to him teaching about the kingdom of
God and seeing him restore health and wellness. As the day comes to an end, the
disciples tell him to send the people away to get food. But Jesus wants to
bring abundant blessing (a party!) to these people he’s been with all day and
so he takes five loaves of bread and two fish and feeds thousands. Incredible!
The text says there were 5,000 men – if each of those men had a wife and even
just two kids with them, then Jesus is actually feeding 20,000 hungry people by
multiplying two fish and five loaves. If each person eats (modestly) 1/3 of a
fish and 1/3 of a loaf, we’re talking about almost 7,000 fish and 7,000 loaves
– that’s a lot of fish and bread!! Again, what a demonstration of the abundant
and lavish way God provides for his people. And you’d better believe those
15,000 folks were celebrating at an unexpected and miraculous dinner!
What ways does your family celebrate the lavish goodness of
God? Do you have a specific time of year where you “rejoice before the LORD
your God” and where you spend dedicated time “being altogether joyful?” I’m
reminded of our family tradition to spend a week each summer in Mexico, basically
partying all week long. My parents rent each family unit a condo right on the
water, in a gated community that has two pools, tennis courts and a grassy area
of the kids to run and play (no one is paying me to say this, but if you’re
looking for an affordable getaway, can I just recommend Mexico?). Every morning
my dad makes an abundant breakfast of pancakes with syrup and whipped cream or
breakfast burritos with 10 different toppings or waffles with fresh peaches
sliced on top. After breakfast each day we play in the sun, lathering babies in
sunscreen and hitting the pool or beach. In the afternoons, we walk from condo
unit to condo unit, rounding up people for a game of Settlers of Catan or Rook,
while we snack on lavish treats like mini Twix bars and fruit roll ups (can I
get an amen for vacation snacks?). In the evenings, after a delicious dinner
that we take turns cooking, we round everyone up for family activities, like a
game of charades or “Grass Olympics” or kick ball or our now famous Talent
Show. If I haven’t convinced you yet, let me just say, it’s a non-stop party.
And throughout the whole week, we are reminded of God’s goodness and we consistently
take time to thank him for his lavish gifts.
Here's a photo from our 2015 Mexico "Feast of Booths."
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