This
post is a part of the series 8 Gifts of Chanukah.
Tonight
the fifth candle is lit.
Gift
#5 of Chanukah is -VICTORY
The
battles fought by the Maccabees were long and difficult. It wasn't an easy over- night VICTORY, but
they won in the end. Many Jews were
tortured and killed in the struggle to regain Israel and the Temple.
This
passage from the Maccabees inspires me:
"When all his followers saw the host
coming against them, they said to Judas, 'How can so few of us fight against so
many? Besides, we have had nothing to eat all day, and we are exhausted.' Judas
replied: 'Many can easily be overpowered by a few; it makes no difference to
Heaven to save by many or by few. VICTORY does not depend on numbers; strength
comes from Heaven alone . . . Heaven will crush them before our eyes. You need
not be afraid of them'" (1 Maccabees 3:17-21).
This
mighty warrior for G-d was absolutely sure they would win the VICTORY because
his faith was in the strength of G-d alone.
How did Judas know this? Because
His father, Mattathias, had taught Him the Torah as a child. When he became a man, he had learned the
stories of G-d's mighty power to win VICTORY as he sat in the synagogue each
week. The Maccabee sons had grown up
learning about the VICTORIES of heroes like Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph and
Moses.
Unlike
believers of today, the people of that time period did not have a Bible in
their hands. The scrolls were kept in
the synagogues, and each week men would attend to hear the Scriptures
read. They would then take the teachings
home to their wives and children. Daily, they repeated the spiritual anthem of
Israel, the Sh'ma:
“Hear,
oh Isra’el! Adonai our G-d, Adonai is one; and you are to love Adonai your G-d
with all your heart, all your being and all your resources. These words, which
I am ordering you today, are to be on your heart; and you are to teach them
carefully to your children. You are to talk about them when you sit at home,
when you are traveling on the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie
them on your hand as a sign, put them at the front of a headband around your
forehead, and write them on the door-frames of your house and on your gates.
(Deuteronomy 6:4-9)
I'm
inspired by the story of Chanukah because of the clear message of VICTORY. We face battles in our lives, too,
Gail-Friends. We all experience troubles
and trials, such as problems with finances, relationships, and careers. We are even facing battles with the forces of
darkness in our country right now. We
can give in to fear, or we can stand and fight in the strength of the L-RD.
I
learned this lesson years ago while going through a court battle. I cried out to the L-RD for help and He gave
me this verse to stand on:
"Some
trust in horses, and some trust in chariots.
But
we will trust in the name of our G-d." (Proverbs 20:7)
As
I meditated on the verse, G-d showed me to replace horses with
"lawyers", and chariots with "judges". I repeated it over and over and trusted Him
to win the victory. In the end, I won
the VICTORY! Now, when faced with a
battle, I turn to G-d and trust Him to fight for me.
You can learn more about Chanukah in this series from last year: 8 Days of Chanukah
This is how we combine Chanukah with a celebration of Yeshua's birth: Christmas Unplugged
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Raising Homemakers Wednesday A
Wise Woman Builds Wake Up Wednesday A Little R & R Wednesday Wednesday's Prayer Girls & Link-Up Party Thought Provoking Thursdays at 3D Lessons 4Life Thursday
Favorite Things My Fresh Brewed Life with Barbie – Weekend Brew
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