Morning by Morning, October 10 - Feast of Joy in the Feast of Tabernacles! Good morning, Lord Jesus. Help me hear Your heart and think Your thoughts, as You lead me step by step and moment by moment through my day (Matthew 16:24). ... On the Biblical calendar, we’ve now entered the seven days of the Feast of Tabernacles, as one of “the appointed festivals of the Lord” when all Israel gathered to celebrate the Presence of God among them: “Now, the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the produce of the land, you shall keep the festival of the Lord, lasting seven days, a complete rest on the first day and a complete rest on the eighth day. On the first day you shall take the fruit of majestic trees, branches of palm trees, boughs of leafy trees, and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days. You shall keep it as a festival to the Lord lasting seven days in the year; you shall keep it in the seventh month as a statute forever throughout your generations. You shall live in booths (also called tabernacles or tents) for seven days; all who are native-born in Israel shall live in booths, so that your generations may know that I made the Israelites live in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God. Thus Moses declared to the Israelites the appointed festivals of the Lord” (Leviticus 23:33-44). All the feasts and the festivals, all the Law and the Prophets, of the Old Covenant point to and are fulfilled in You, Lord Jesus, our Messiah (Matthew 5:17). All of them speak of Your Presence and plans and promises for Your people -- for all who would open their hearts to You and embrace Your heart within us. This is Your ultimate desire for every one of us, as You expressed to John in his Revelation of You: “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be His people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:1-4). The Feast of Tabernacles is such an expression of Your heart, for You to come and tabernacle among us. And it’s such an expression of Your desire for our joy -- “rejoice before the Lord (our) God for seven days” in a festival of joy! (Leviticus 23:40) One day this will ultimately be fulfilled in the “new heaven and new earth” revealed in the “new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God.” But at the same time, right now, we can experience You coming down from heaven right here in in our hearts by Your Holy Spirit, as You come and tabernacle among us -- even within us: Speaking of the coming of Your Holy Spirit -- the Spirit of Christ, abiding with us and abiding within us -- You said to Your first disciples the invitation You offer to every disciple: “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to Myself, that where I am you may be also” (John 14:3). “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. You know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Yet a little while and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you also will live. In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. Whoever has My commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him” (John 14:15-21). Come, Holy Spirit -- “Spirit of God,” “Sprit of Christ” (Romans 8:9) -- come abide in me as I abide in You; come tabernacle and dwell here in my heart and every moment of my day. You are my God and I am one of Your people. One day there will be a new heaven and new earth and new Jerusalem; but at the same time -- right here, right now -- You are already making all things new for me and in me by the Ever-abiding Presence of Your Spirit within me: “Therefore, if anyone in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new!” (2 Corinthians 5:17) The Feast of Tabernacles, celebrating the Presence of God among the people of God, was the most festive and joyful feast of all. And rightly so, for “in Your Presence there is fullness of joy!” (Psalm 16:11). By the grace of Your Ever-abiding Presence, tabernacling here with me within my heart, may You fill me with Your joy today and every day. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
My friend, may you be filled with joy in the Ever-abiding Presence of the Lord tabernacling in your heart, in Jesus' name. God bless you!
Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries Mailing Address: 412 S. Adams Street #148 Fredericksburg, Texas 78624 Please share this word to encourage a friend! Anyone can sign up for free to receive them at: https://messiah-ministries.org | 
