A Time To Party

A Time to Party

Israel’s Festivals

Read: Leviticus 23

I sank into a kitchen chair, with a stack of bills to pay, a growing to-do list, and a brain swirling with worries. As I gazed absentmindedly out the big window, something grabbed my attention. A little wren was splashing around in the water-filled gutter spout. Hopping around and shaking its wings, the bird seemed to be having the time of its life enjoying the sunshine, which I had failed to notice. I smiled, but a pang of guilt shot through me—that tiny bird was enjoying life more than I had been lately.

This chapter in Leviticus summarizes the annual festivals that God planned for the Israelites. Although these observances included solemn times of introspection, mostly they were occasions for rejoicing in God’s provision and goodness. I like to imagine how the women felt about the celebrations built into their nation’s calendar. These breaks from the burden of their daily chores reminded them that the God they worshiped wanted them to have joy-filled lives.

We have conveniences that the Israelite women didn’t dream of, but our lives are crammed with responsibilities and distractions that can rob us of joy, if we let them. Along with taking care of ourselves, our families, and our jobs, we need to schedule times to celebrate the good things in life. That may seem self-indulgent, but God has asked us to do it, as long as we keep a healthy balance.

Some people act as if it’s more spiritual to be solemn and gloomy all the time, but God loves to hear his children laugh. He wants us to have times of self-examination when we grieve our losses and sinfulness, but he also encourages us to express joy. When we reflect on how much God loves us, we always have a reason to celebrate.

For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.

Ecclesiastes 3:1