Day 5 - Overcome to Victory
For Christians: Rededicating Ourselves to Faithfulness
Today we will be lighting the 6th candle.
For eight days we celebrate the Jewish Festival of Lights in honor of a 2,000-year-old miracle in which light won out over darkness. Unlike Christmas stories which are filled with hope, generosity and those warm-fuzzy feelings, the story of Hanukkah is a story of warfare and overcoming great odds.
Stories change lives. Stories challenge. Stories inspire. Stories are an important part of every culture. They capture the deepest parts of our hearts as we connect with the characters. The story of Hanukkah is no different. Imagine that story being retold among God’s people as they sat around tribal fires at night. How it passed on from one generation to the next, inspiring faith and courage to do the right thing. It’s a story that “needs” to be told every year to serve as a reminder of how God’s people, with God’s help, can overcome to victory!
Hanukkah was a defining moment in the life and history of God’s people. The Maccabees changed the course of an entire nation because they determined that God was more important than anything else. A remnant stood in the face of evil and kept the faith. They remained loyal, and in doing so, exalted His Name all the more by proving to the ancient world that the God of Israel is the one true God.
Hellenized Jews are in a way not much different than some Christians today. Those Jews embraced Alexander the Greats attempts at creating a “universal culture.” Many Christians today are being lured into the same mindset, giving us all the more reason to take a step back during this season to examine our faith.
Consider some statistics from Barna research:
Only 6% of adult Americans (Christians) hold to a Biblical Worldview
94% are embracing Syncretism (mixture): Biblical Theism, Moralistic Therapeutic Deism (Good person/ Feel good Christianity), Secular Humanism, Neilism, Dualism, and New Age/ Spirituality
Christianity in the west is dangerously compromised; having just enough knowledge of Christianity to quote some Bible verses, while at the same time, dabbling in other belief systems.
Satan always uses a mixture.
This isn’t the time to be idle in our faith. If we want any hope in changing the course of this nation to the glory of God we need to figure out what story we want to leave behind for the next generation. What story do you want to leave behind?
The book of Proverbs says, “He who gathers in summer is a wise son; He who sleeps in harvest is a son who causes shame” (Prov. 10:5). This is a message for us. This is no time to be sleeping on the job. We are living at a time where the fields are white for the harvest. People everywhere are looking for answers, they’re looking for hope. As you get clear about how to rededicate your life, listen for the practical places God is inviting you into obedience to take action!
So now, light your sixth candle and think about faithfulness to your Savior Jesus. Are you living from a Biblical worldview or are you embracing the mixture? Take time in reflection and prayer and rededicate yourself to faithfulness. He purchased you for Himself through His death and resurrection. No only else paid for your release from the kingdom of darkness, but Him. Truly consider the great lengths He has gone for you during this time of reflection.
God Bless You Today.
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