Hanukkah – denisebalog…Grace filled devotionals.

Final Days of Hanukkah – A Light has Shined

“By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan,

In Galilee of the Gentiles.

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light;

Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death,

Upon them a Light has shined.” Isaiah 9:2 NKJV

Hanukkah – Day 8 – The Dedication

Lighting the candlestick in honor and celebration of Hanukkah through the eyes of a follower of Jesus Christ.

“And when eight days were complete…His name was called JESUS. (Yeshua). Luke 2:21NJKV

The eighth candle, the final candle of celebration and remembrance of God’s miracle in the Temple in Jerusalem.

“They brought Him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord” Luke 2:22 NKJV

The Dedication.

“And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name means Simeon. (One who hears) “So he came by the Spirit…and he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said:

Lord…

my eyes have seen Your salvation (Yeshua) which You have prepared before the face of all the peoples,

A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel.” Luke 1:22-32 NJKV

The miracle of the Light,

The wonder of each night.

Generations came,

Voices gathered in one proclaim,

“Holy, Holy, Holy!

All honor due His Saving Might!

Holy, Holy, Holy!

Praise His Wonderous Light!

I pray you have been blessed as the Holy Spirit has led through this season of honor, remembrance and celebration of Hanukkah through the revelation of His Light and Grace.

Featured photo of Judean desert looking towards Jerusalem.

The Wailing Wall or Western Wall in Jerusalem.

Hanukkah – Day 7 – I AM all you need

Lighting the candlestick in honor and celebration of Hanukkah through the eyes of a follower of Jesus Christ.

Rain begins the morning,

Dark and grey to stay.

Lighting the seventh candle, remembering Jesus,

I AM

All you need in any situation,

I AM providing the way.

Lighting the seventh candle brings my heart and mind to the beloved Gospel of John. John highlights seven miracles performed by Jesus. John also shares the seven times Jesus gave the people a visual of Who He is in the I AM statements.

John who rested his head on Jesus’ chest, who heard Jesus’ heartbeat knew…Jesus the same yesterday, today and forever. Hebrews 13:8 is all we need in life.

I AM the Bread of life John 6:35

I AM the Light of life. John 8:12

I AM the Door of life. John 10:9

I AM the Good Shepherd. John 10:14

I AM the resurrection and the life. John 11:25

I AM the way, truth and the life. John 14:6

I AM the true Vine. John 15:1

– Hanukkah – Day Six – It Was Winter

“Now it was the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem, and it was winter. And Jesus walked in the temple, in Solomon’s porch.” John 10:22 & 23 NKJV

According to history, the Feast of Dedication, or Hanukkah – is the commemoration of the dedication of the temple by Judas Maccabeus was in December 165 B.C. (The Message, pg 2113)

It was winter…this verse warms my heart in a personal way. Knowing Jesus, Himself the Light of the World, walked the cold stone pavement of Solomon’s porch in Jerusalem. To think, He left His place of glory to walk the earth as we do. Season after season, warm breezes of summer, cold blowing chilled winds, …it was winter.

Lighting the sixth candle and the number six reflecting man’s work, brings my thoughts to Jesus Himself. God in the flesh Who “dwelt among us…”John 1:14 NKJV Jesus felt the cold as we do. His body had to work to keep warm.

It was winter … Clothed in my western mind set and everything warm packed from my suitcase, (never thinking the Middle East could get this cold) I walked the streets of Jerusalem thinking of the One Who “dwelt among us” and continues to work and walk this path with me in Day Six of Hanukkah.

Lighting the candlestick in honor and celebration of Hanukkah through the eyes of a follower of Jesus Christ.

Photo captured in Jerusalem in the winter January 2018

Hanukkah – The Center of Grace

“And the light shines in the in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.” John 1:5 NKJV

Lighting the candlestick in honor and celebration of Hanukkah through the eyes of a follower of Jesus Christ.

Admittedly, not knowing the order or the traditional way to light the Hanukkah candles, I watched a YouTube video learning the center candle is lit first and is used to light the remaining candles each night. The direction to light the candles is from right to left. This is the same way one reads Hebrew. Right to Left.

What I thought was the fifth candle on Hanukkah candlestick is in truth the center candle. The center candle holds the position of Light and Honor.

-The Light shines in darkness and illuminates the night.

Grace and Truth is in the Center and in Him all fear takes flight. –

Hanukkah – Day Four – No Shadow of Turning

“Reflections of the fourth candle illuminate the night. Revelation of Your Beauty completeness in Your sight.”

The seven candlesticks or lampstand found in Exodus 25:32 is the shadow or concealed beauty of Jesus in His completeness in the Tabernacle or Tent of Meeting which Moses was instructed to build in the wilderness. (The Menorah) The seven candles represent completion as the number seven in Scripture can represent completion.

In contrast the nine candles of Hanukkah lampstand can illuminate or be a shadow of the Holy Spirit by the nine gifts and fruits of the Spirit.

Each lampstand is different but both reflect the Presence, the Gift and the Fruit of the Father. For in Him there is no shadow of turning only Love and Light.

May you be blessed lighting the fourth candle and enjoy His Love and Light all year long.

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of Light, with whom there is no shadow of variation or shadow of turning.” James 1:17 NKJV

Poem by denisebalogc2019

Hanukkah – Day Three – The Fruit

“Blossoms may tarry as we wait upon the Vine,

But the fruits of His Spirit bring forth His Beauty Divine.”

Symbolic of the nine candles…Day Three reminds of me of nine fruits in Galatians 5:22

“But the fruit of the Spirit is

Love,

Joy,

Peace,

Patience,

Kindness,

Goodness,

Faithfulness,

Gentleness and

Self-Control

Against such there is no law.” Galatians 5:22

When I’ve been hateful and lack all joy and peace, His gentleness loves me.

When patience runs thin and kindness far gone, He is faithful and is good to me.

When I’ve lost all self-control and go off on my own, His mercy leads me to His Grace.

Against such there is no law…only the fruits of His Beauty and Grace.

Poem by denisbalog@2019

Hanukkah – Day Two – The Gift of Nine

Why the nine candles? Each candle represents a miracle of God. When the Temple was reclaimed there was only enough oil to light the candlesticks on (the Menorah) for one day. Through God’s gracious hand the oil last nine days.

My heart delights to see the oil of the nine found in Nine Gifts of the Spirit the Apostle Paul spoke of in 1 Corinthians 12:10 & 11 NKJV

“Now concerning spiritual gifts.. the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all.

The word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge… to another faith… to another gifts of healings…to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.

But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He Will’s.”

May the nine lights of Hanukkah cause us to remember the miracle of oil in the nine gifts of the Spirit residing in each as He wills in the second light of Hanukkah this day.

Hanukkah – Day One – Shine the Light!

Today begins the lighting of the first of nine candles celebrating Hanukkah.

Thinking on how this applies to my life as a Christian it occured to me the miracle of the light that shines in me because of the Holy Spirit (the oil) I can partake of Hanukkah in the spiritual by sharing the Light.

A word of encouragement to a co-worker who has lost hope in their situation. A prayer with a friend fighting a battle of sickness. A kind word of caring to a neighbor who is experiencing their first Christmas after the loss of a spouse or a child.

Surely in prayer and asking, the Father will light a new candle every day and cause His light to shine in darkness.

Celebrating and lighting the first candle of Hanukkah – Day One.

“Let your light so shine…and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:16 NKJV