Sukkot

(To The Saint)

Feast of Tabernacles

As Saints journey through this world and all that The World represents, we must know that all of “this” is temporary.  

Temporary.  

In the wilderness of this world, there will be 1) struggles 2) enemies 3) pain 4) sadness 5) moments of fear 6) battles with our own flesh 7) battles with others 8) battles with principalities of darkness.

If we are not guarding our hearts as we journey through the wilderness, we will find ourselves overcome by unbelief. Circling. Pacing Back & Forth. Fearful. Overcome.

When we put our faith in God to lead us and when we truly follow Him, He is faithful to care for us in a perfect way, according to His plan.  

The Lord sought to remind me recently about the “temporariness” of the struggles of this life when He taught me about the Feast of Tabernacles (also known as the Feast of Booths and Sukkot/Succoth). He, in the span of 2 hours, brought the phrase “Feast of Tabernacles” to my attention three separate times in remarkable ways.

A foe had surfaced in my life.  Really, he was

the same foe he has always been, but operating in a different body, using a different platform, but certainly, the same old Serpent, that Dragon, Satan.

I was not at all familiar with this particular feast in the Bible. Yet, the Lord was set on teaching me about this practice and most importantly the significance the Feast of Tabernacles still holds today in the life of a born again Christian.

Feast of Tabernacles/ Feast of Booths/ Sukkot/ Succoth

I do not doubt that there are many layers to Sukkot, but

God sought to teach me this aspect of it:  The Feast of Tabernacles was a celebration by God’s people that lasted for a week.  The Jewish people would build small booths (tabernacles) out of branches and leaves, living in them for a week. Why?  This Feast served as a reminder of God's provision for the Israelites earlier in the Old Testament. As the Israelites made their way from Egypt to the promised land, they traveled through the wilderness.  They had no permanent home while they traveled.  They were called to rely solely on God, who promised to shelter them and provide for them.  God provided a pillar of fire by night and pillar of cloud by day (Exodus 13: 21-22) for the Israelites. This was just one way God provided for His people.

Therefore, the tabernacles or booths the Jewish people built during the Feast of Tabernacles were specifically made as temporary dwellings in order to symbolically remind them how God had worked in the past.  Also, these booths represented what God would do for them in the future as well. Hallelujah!  

Can you think of every time God showed up for you? Every time He delivered you? Think on it.  Remember those times.  What makes you think He won’t yet again in this battle … with this particular foe.  Is the battle bigger than any you have ever experienced?  Look for the pillar of fire by night.  It’s there.  God is ready to help His people.  Are you going to trust Him?  Are you going to rejoice in His Strength?

In the picture below, the Israelites lived in temporary shelters as they journeyed through the wilderness (this world/trials), but GOD appeared to them as a pillar of fire by night and a cloud by day to lead His people!  Isn’t God good!  Yes, He sure is! Trust Him, not the things of this world, not even the formidable foes that surface.

The Lord has meticulously spent this last year teaching me, through trials & through speaking His Truth, that this, this world, is temporary.  The foes, the struggles, the heartache -- it’s all temporary.  

Follow Him.  The Lord continues to remind me of that City, whose maker and builder is God.  Those who have a true heart to obey the Lord and to be transformed by Him are traveling to a City, and in fact, saints ARE that City being built and transformed by God as we obey Him. (Isaiah 60:18, 60:19, 60:20)

After the LORD taught me about the Feast of Tabernacles recently,  this foe that had been plaguing me dissolved by the hand of the Lord in a matter of days, just as God had indicated to me that he would.  The foe wanted me to weep, but the Lord instructed me to REJOICE!  And I did.  I rejoiced in God’s Strength!  Oh, how He strengthens me.

Keep walking, Saint.  Pitch your temporary tent where the Lord leads you.  Allow your temporary foe to surface.  No matter the form of the foe, his time is short in your life.  Remain faithful to the LORD.  Speak when He says to speak.  Do what He says to do.  Move when He says to move.  Believe. Obey.  The LORD will fulfill every hopeful promise to those who keep covenant with Him.  

Please understand:  The Pilgrims (Saints) who are passing through this wilderness must know - the Lord has steadfastly taught me this with every trial faced this year - there is no permanent home here for the Saints, but there is a permanent CITY where the Glory of God will reside forever more, and that is where you are going as a Pilgrim.  Remember, "this wilderness" - whatever your wilderness may be - "this" is temporary.  Keep moving Pilgrim. Glory!  (Revelation 21: 22-23, Hebrews 11:13, Hebrews 11:10, 11:19, 12:22, 13:14)

Word of My Testimony:  It's been one pilgrimage after another

over the last year.  It's been one pulling up stakes and traveling on a few more feet after another for me this year.  It has been one detachment at a time from this world, the things of this world,  the lies of this world, after another, and each time, God has provided.  He has directed.  If you know about the story called The Pilgrim's Progress, there is a moment in one of its depictions, where the character Christian sees another character whose name is Faithful off in the distance.  Christian yells for Faithful to wait until he can catch up with Faithful, but Faithful's response is basically 'you can run and catch up with me, but I am not stopping.  I have to keep moving.'

Boy, that is where I am in this journey with the Lord.  I'll do what I can as the Lord directs to point you to the narrow path. But, I won't stand still and take up a permanent residence down here for you.  If you are my brother, sister, mother, father, husband, child, best friend, acquaintance, stranger on the street, I can't stop for you.  I can't do it.  You can join me on this transforming journey, but if you don't want to do so, I've got to keep movin' on!  I'm headed to a CITY!  

Hallelujah!

In the Shelter