- Barukh atah Adonai Elohenu melech ha-olam, asher kid'shanu b'mitzvohtav v'tzi-vanu l'hadleek ner shel Chanukah. Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to kindle the light of Hanukkah (and to let our light shine before others).
- Barukh atah Adonai Elohenu melech ha-olam, sheheyanu v'keey'manu v'hee-gee-anu lazman hazeh. Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who has performed miracles for our forefathers in those days at this time.
- Barukh atah Adonai Elohenu melech ha-olam, she-hasah nisim laavotainu ba-yamim ha-ham bazman hazeh. Blessed are Thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who has kept us in life and sustained us and enabled us to reach this season.
1. I looked at the last part of the 1st blessing: (and to let our light shine before others). We were told by the Lord in Matthew 5-"16 In the same way, let your light shine before people, so that they may see the good things you do and praise your Father in heaven." How many of us have been letting our light shine, not only in the bright times, but also in the dark? And how many of us are living in such a way that people know that we are believers and that we are following the example of the Lord in the way that we live? How many testify to what the Lord has done (and is doing) in their lives, not only at this time of Hanukkah (or Thanksgiving), but whenever we have a chance-are we the 1 Peter 3:15 type of believers-"15 but treat the Messiah as holy, as Lord in your hearts;[a] while remaining always ready to give a reasoned answer to anyone who asks you to explain the hope you have in you — yet with humility and fear,"
2. "Blessed are Thou, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, who has performed miracles for our forefathers in those days at this time." Think about it...and the same God who performed miracles back then does the same thing for us. I know that I can say that with authority because I am a walking miracle. I know that there are many out there who read this that can say the same thing about their own lives or the lives of someone that they know... It's as we could say "Blessed are Thou, O lord our God, King of the Universe who has performed and is still perfoming miracles, for our forefathers and us in those days at this time!"
3. "Blessed are Thou, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, who has kept us in life and sustained us and enabled us to reach this season". Just think about it, that we are in His hand...that He sustains us-He gives us enough to get through each day-enough strength, enough provision, enough breath-He doesn't give us more than we need or less than we need, but enough to get through each day, no matter how "hard" the day may be. He also has enabled us-we look at what is going on in the world and the situations that go on in our lives and around us and think about them-would we be able to handle them without the strength of the Lord. You hear how many complain that they don't have this thing or that thing or the new version of whatever thing they have and we should be thinking (to borrow from a phrase that I heard in a Max Lucado book) "Why are they crying over spilled champagne?" As I have said many times, my favorite song at Passover is Dayenu ("It would have been enough"), it would have been enough if the Lord had just given us salvation, but He has given us so much more! And we should realize that for whatever reason, He seems to have given us more than others! Compare we we have been given to what others in the world (and even close to us here in this city, county, state, nation) have been given and we should be on our knees thanking God even for the "little" that we have been given!
So on this first night of Hanukkah, let us thank the Lord God for the blessings that He has given, not only during the times of the Maccabees or the Pilgrims, but to us as well!
No comments:
Post a Comment