Exodus 23:25-26 ‘And ye shall serve the Lord your God, and he shall bless thy bread, and thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee. There shall nothing cast their young, nor be barren, in thy land: the number of thy days I will fulfil.’

DAILY READING; • Acts 3; Deuteronomy 17-18; Job 12

This week is the eight-day Jewish celebration known as Hanukkah. The event which started on 10th of December 2020 will end on 18th of December. Hanukkah is also called the Festival of Lights and it is celebrated with the lighting of the menorah.
The Hanukkah is an event that represents the Jewish indefatigability. Despite all the horrors they have passed through in history, the Jewish nation keeps rising and shining as light out of the darkness.
The particular events that inspired the Hanukkah festival took place around 200 B.C. At this time the Jews had risen up against their oppressors and overcome them.
During this particularly turbulent phase of Jewish history, the Land of Israel came under the control of Antiochus IV Epiphanes, who outlawed the Jewish religion and ordered the Jews to worship Greek gods. His soldiers descended upon Jerusalem, massacring thousands of people and desecrating the city’s holy Second Temple by erecting an altar to Zeus and sacrificing pigs within its sacred walls.
The Jews revolted in a large-scale rebellion led by the Jewish priest Mattathias and his five sons. After the death of Mattathias, his son named Judah Maccabee continued to lead the revolt. Relying largely on guerilla warfare tactics, the Jews soon successfully drove their enemies out of Jerusalem.
After their victory they gathered to cleanse and rededicate the Temple to the Lord. Part of the ceremony involved lighting the menorah which was the gold candelabrum with seven branches that was to be kept burning every night in the temple.
However to their dismay the pure olive oil found in the temple was only enough to keep the menorah’s candles burning for a single day. But they witnessed a miracle when the little oil kept the flames burning for another eight nights, until they were able to produce more pure olive oil. This wondrous event inspired the Jewish sages to proclaim a yearly eight-day festival known as Hanukkah.

Indeed despite all the darkness that has come against them in history, the Jews continue to shine today among the nations. The indestructibility of the Jews is something that has amazed historians. Yet the success story of the Jews is an indication of the power of God’s blessings.
The blessings God swore upon Abraham on Mount Moriah when he laid down Isaac, continues to uphold the Jewish nation today. Truly the power of God’s blessing will always overcome the enemy’s attack against a people who are walking in covenant with the Lord.
Balaam tried three times to speak a curse upon Israel, yet he was unable to penetrate God’s protective shield around His people. In Numbers 23 every time Balaam opened his mouth to speak a curse, a blessing came out instead. Finally, Balaam conceded that his divination was no match for the power of God and said “How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? Or how shall I defy, whom the Lord hath not defied?” He found it was simply impossible for a curse to be pronounced where God had pronounced a blessing!
The same holds true today over us. By shedding His blood at Calvary Christ has brought us into a new covenant relationship with God, where the blessings of Abraham has come upon us. And as spiritual Israelites, we have become untouchable and uncursable. It doesn’t matter how much anyone may hate you or try to curse you, the power of God’s blessings will always nullify every evil words spoken against you.
The power of God’s blessings speaks especially over us when we stay in covenant through service in God’s Kingdom.
Exodus 23:25-26 says ‘And ye shall serve the Lord your God, and he shall bless thy bread, and thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee. There shall nothing cast their young, nor be barren, in thy land: the number of thy days I will fulfil.’
Truly when we commit to serving God, the power of His blessings will uphold us. Despite the social or economic climate in the world we will keep shining as light in the midst of a perverse and crooked generation.
Through the Blood of Jesus we have been divinely rescued from every curse and are now the blessed of the Lord. And surely, whoever the son of God has set free, is truly free indeed.

PRAYER; Father, I rejoice that I am the blessed of the Lord and protected by the blood of Jesus Christ. Indeed by the precious Blood of Jesus I am separated from all evil. Thank You Lord for the overflow of Your blessings upon my life in Jesus Name.
Quote
It takes a heart for God to make a mark in the sands of time. – WORDBITE 201.