The season of holidays is in full swing. We celebrated Thanksgiving in America with our friends and families. Now we are starting the celebration of Hanukkah with our Jewish friends all over the world; Boxing Day with our Canadian friends; and even Christmas with believers worldwide. The holidays are a time of celebration and declarations of joy. I find it fascinating that some people want to say because these holidays are “pagan” in origin they are not relevant. What I always smile at is how the enemy, who cannot create, but can only copy has tried to hijack all things enjoyable and make us miserable. I am not giving up celebrations for they all point to Jesus for me.

Thanksgiving is very biblical, Psalm 136, line after line says, “Give thanks to the Lord…” for me thanksgiving is about giving thanks to God first and then it is about the Mayflower landing, the Pilgrims progressing. Hanukkah is all about Jesus as well for in John 8 He said of Himself, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” Hanukkah is called the Festival of Lights and means to dedicate. Today is the first day of Hanukkah, no I am not Jewish by blood, but my Savior is Jewish by earthly lineage and He is the light of the world, so I am dedicating myself to Him again after a long season of enemy occupation for that is what this holiday is about. Christmas and Boxing Day (second day of Christmas) is earmarked as the time to celebrate the birth of Jesus. I know He was probably born in September/October during Feast of Tabernacles, but He is the reason for the season, so I celebrate.

My friends, we will always find what we are looking for. I just pray we find what we are for and celebrate that not what we are against. It is Hanukkah, why do we celebrate it, not because we are Jewish, but because it is about dedication after a long season of enemy occupation. I don’t know about you, but I have been set free from the enemy and I am going to dedicate my life again every day during Hanukkah and give thanks to the Lord for He has set me free. Then I am going to give and receive gifts because I have received the greatest gift of all, Jesus the Christ. I do not have time to be anything but joyful, for we are in a season of celebration and the party is just getting started. Tis the season and we have so many reasons to rejoice. Happy Hanukkah!