Yesterday as I sat reflecting the Christmas season of 2024 I just knew it went by way too fast. I wanted more time. I hadn’t even burned up all my Bath and Body Works Christmas candles. I wanted more time with my family. I wanted more time to visit with my oldest grandson who is a senior this year. In five months he will be graduating. In seven months he will be going to the University of Denver. How can this even be so?
I kept looking at my Christmas decorations. Do I start packing them away or do I hold out until after the first of the year? I couldn’t do it. I started boxing them up. Except my Christmas candles. I’m still lighting those. I thought to myself it’s time to get ready for the new. Let the festivities roll on however they may look. Then I remembered Jesus’ mother Mary and what she did as time rolled past her.
“But Mary treasured all these things, giving careful thought to them and pondering them in her heart.”
Luke 2:19 AMP
Treasure these moments. Treasure this past Christmas season. Give careful thought to every day I experience with God, with Jesus Son of God.
As I say I’m packing up my decorations, there is one area that I will leave untouched until the 2nd. Kevin and I light Hanukkah candles. Tonight we will light the seventh candle.
“At that time the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple [area] in Solomon’s portico.”
John 10:22-23 AMP
A few years ago God caused me to get curious about this Jewish holiday. He showed me that while His Son walked this earth, Jesus celebrated this festival. It is known by many names, Feast of dedication, Festival of Lights. God put inside me a love to light candles, so I ordered my first Menorah, Kevin and I lit the tallest candle, the Servant’s candle, and we have been celebrating Hanukkah every year and through it all we have seen and learned more about Jesus THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. Through the lighting of these candles we have seen how this season tells His Story.
Would it surprise you to find out December 25th is not really Jesus’ birthday? Constantine, the first Christian Emperor of the Roman Empire set this date in 336 AD. Some scholars claim it was to offset the pagan celebrations of the winter solstice. Constantine made Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire.
Biblical scholars research has shown that Jesus was probably born during the fall maybe September. This would have been during the Fall Feasts of the Jews. That is when lambing season would have been. Which would be when the shepherds were watching their flocks by night. Now wouldn’t that be just like our God, who is the author of the first Christmas, to be so precise to have THE LAMB OF GOD be born when the Temple sacrificial lambs were born. And then to go a step further. If you count back nine months of Mary’s pregnancy, it would mean the Holy Spirit of God would have overshadowed her and put the LIGHT OF THE WORLD inside her womb around the time the Jewish nation was celebrating the Festival of Lights. My “sanctified imagination” is screaming what a perfect story God wrote.
“Then the angel replied to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you [like a cloud]; for that reason the holy (pure, sinless) Child shall be called the Son of God. [Ex 40:34; Is 7:14]”
Luke 1:35 AMP
So yeah, my Menorah candle will not be packed away for a few more days. Before this year ends the Lord has more to teach me about The Light of the World.
Darkness is only dark because it is the absence of light.
I challenge you to light just one candle tonight in the dark of a room and watch as even that one candle light penetrates the darkness. Tonight we will light seven candles along with the tallest Servant Candle. One observance of Hanukkah is to stare at the flames for thirty minutes and Be Still and know He is God. I find myself mesmerized by the flicker of the candle. I watch the candlelight wave as it is blown by the air. Last night God reminded me:
“The wind blows where it wishes and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it is coming from and where it is going; so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.””
John 3:8 AMP
I’ve decided on this last day of 2024 to reflect and treasure and ponder and carefully think over all the days the Lord has given me. In fact that was my word for 2024. REFLECT.
Man that was spot on. I pray that all our family has the light of Jesus shining through them all the time.
Me too