God Loves Us to Celebrate

This last summer we were challenged at the Fairwood Family Convention to, like David, have a heart "after God's own heart!" Ever since I have thought "What does that look like?" I ran across a little book entitled "A Heart Like His" and read it looking for the answer. It is a neat book that simply uses the fruit of the Spirit as a list for what God's heart is like. God has a heart of love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, etc. They include practical things to develop those attributes. God has a heart full of joy. Wow! Neat!

Then I did a study on all the places in the Bible that exhort us to celebrate or indicate that God loves celebrations. I was amazed how many times He says "celebrate a feast to me." He gave it as instructions to the children of Israel in the Old Testament, and Paul reaffirms it in the New Testament. Since our passover lamb has been sacrificed, even Christ "Therefore let us celebrate the feast..." It fits right in with the command to rejoice. Rejoicing isn't just a good feeling, but a choice to take joy in God and His gooodness.

From the Triumphal Entry, to Miriam's song of celebration after the Egyptian army was destroyed at the Red Sea, the Bible is full of celebrations. David, Solomon and many of the kings had celebrations after various victories or just because God is good. If we can celebrate birthdays, anniveraries, our nation's independence, freedom, or our work (Labor day), then how much more should we celebrate the Great God who has given us breath, saved us from hell, given us His Word in the Bible, answered our prayers, showers us with blessing and good things, is in control of everything and is coming back to reign as King and see that everything comes out right!