There are some very specific items I could take from the Feast, but I recently noticed that there are also some general items that all can learn from, no matter what Feast site they were with this year.
There is a long dry spell between the Last Great Day and Passover. However, God provides us sustenance through a weekly feast called the Sabbath. We get weekly boosts in encouragement and spiritual nourishment that can keep us going through the winter. Leviticus 23 lists it as the first feast. It keeps us connected as a Church through fellowship with other believers.
But, you know what? There are some that cannot make it to services on a regular basis because of illness or other problems. What of them? Yeah, I know. They get weekly tapes or CDs from their local congregations, but that isn’t what I’m talking about. What about fellowship with other like-minded believers?
You know, some make it a point to send cards each year from their Feast site to shut-ins. Some congregations even hand out lists of shut-ins to make it easier to do this. There’s nothing wrong with this, and it is commendable to try to make those who cannot make it to the Feast as much a part of it all as possible.
But, what of the weekly Sabbath? Do we really believe that sending them cards once a year is going to do the job? Have we really considered the loneliness of those who cannot make it to weekly services? Have we thought about how depressed we would feel in the same situation?
When was the last time you sent a card to someone other than at Feast time? When was the last time you picked up the phone and gave of your time? When was the last time you visited someone in a nursing home?
We all get older, and the body starts to break down at some time. Barring some accident or congenital defect, we will all become old and lose mobility. Eventually, these problems are likely to hinder our ability to attend services. It is part of life. I want to point out that even in the Book of Isaiah where he wrote the prophecy about children playing in the streets without fear that the elderly still use staffs. In other words, they will live long and fruitful lives, but they will still experience old age and lessened mobility. It is part of life.
Who will write to you when you cannot get around any longer? Who will call you when you get lonely? Who will visit you in the nursing home?
p>There is a saying that what goes around comes around. Or, as Paul put it:
7Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. (Galatians 6:7, King James Version)