A RELAVENT MONTH
The month of Shevat is relevant to our blog readers in more than one way.
Most of The IN SEASON Lifestyle readers have been participating in our weekly bible study called COME AS A CHILD. Not very long ago we studied the Book of Deuteronomy. Together we journeyed through the part of the book where Moses reminds the people about all that has happened during their long journey from Egypt through the wilderness and to the border of The Promised Land.
We arrived at the place where they were about to cross the Jordan and take the Promised Land as their inheritance; but first they are reminded of how important it is to be obedient to God.
Later, in our study of The Book of Joshua we covered the same scenario when Joshua became the leader after Moses’s death.
All of this began in the month of Shevat.
THE FUTURE DEPENDS ON GOD’S PEOPLE’S ACTIONS
Moses makes one speech after another emphasizing these important facts.
The future depends upon the actions of the people.
That preaches for today too.
Moses knew he would not be with them when they crossed over. He diligently and faithfully talked to them for a whole month (37 days) about how they were to remain true and obedient to God when they did cross over into the long awaited place of their inheritance.
He warns them about what will happen if they are disobedient.
Also; he encourages them to walk in the blessings promised to the obedient.
The people of God living today should be aware of the same warnings. Jesus has risen from the grave and proven that God’s ways are the best ways. They are the way to eternal and ever-lasting life.
It is time to start claiming the promises of your own inheritance. God has granted many spiritual blessings to those who follow Him. The enemy of God will try to rob, steal, kill and destroy those blessings; but we must not let him. It is time to cross over and begin walking in the new ways of life in a promised land.
We must take back the land that God has granted to His people. It is time to start living in the promises.
THE FIRST DAY OF SHEVAT
These speeches of Moses began on the first day of Shevat. They are given with faith during a long preparation time for a whole new way of life that is coming.
Nisan 10 is only weeks away. It is the beginning of the new sacred year.
The people will begin a new year in a new land.
They will cross over.
A TIME OF PREPARATION
Shevat is like that. It is a time of preparing to enter a new year, a new place and to get ready to cross over to a new way of life that completes a nation’s destiny.
EVERYTHING depends on obedience to God through obedience to Torah.
In this time of Shevat, the nation of Israel drinks in these words of warning from Moses. They hear how to be blessed and they hear how to be cursed.
On the way to new life in the land of promise; the people are remembering who they are and where they came from.
They are being reminded of their purpose and calling.
It is the same for us today. We seem to be at a crossroads in our nation. It is now time to cross over to a new and better way and live into the blessings of God. This can only be done by following the Word and living out Torah. It is time to be praying, fasting, giving and waiting on God for new directions to a new place.
The year 2022 will brought some of us double portions of blessings. It happened in spite of the culture, the government, the powers that were striving to destroy the Church and all that is godly in the nation. It happened because the People of God followed God instead of mankind.
This coming year will be no different. Those who are blessed will be those who are obedient and follow God’s ways in the year to come. Those who overcome will prevail.
It is a crucial time to be living on the earth.
Like those old Israelites; all of our actions matter. What we do from here on out will determine the fate of our nation and also the fate o f our own individual lives.
THE NEW YEAR OF THE TREES
The month of Shevat brings Tu Bishvat; the new year for the trees.
It reminds us of the ties that God’s people have to the land; how we should be caring for it and living in the land that God has destined for our people to exist and flourish within. For the people of Israel this was the Promised Land. The time was coming soon for their first fruits offerings. They must be considering what those things should be for this year. Every year should start with very carefully and prayerfully considered first-fruits offerings to God.
For the people of America; God’s destiny is within the story of our own country. God helped our godly ancestors to possess a land of abundance and plenty. We are a lot like those Israelites moving into a new place.
Like Israel; enemies of God have tried to destroy our nation, our worship and our people. We must take a stand and fight this battle by how we live out our lives. There are no new lands to conquer; but we can renew the land that has already been conquered. God’s ways always bring restoration and renewal.
Have we been careful to love and cherish the blessings that God has given us?
Are we being faithful to give the first fruits of our lands and our labors back to Him with thanksgiving and praise?
Good roots run deep.
The lives of mighty trees have good deep roots that speak of of how a nation should live. They work like an anchor to keep us upright and healthy.
It is time to return to our deep roots.
We need to be remembering how our nation was originally formed and living our lives in accordance with those original truths. Those formations correspond well to the formations that God used when He first created the world.
RISING TO GOD’S PURPOSES
As we approach the time of Shevat; will each individual person rise together to protect our land?
What are we currently doing to keep from being destroyed by the enemies of God?
We must renew this desire to follow our God-given destiny to care for our homeland.
This month of Shevat is an annual reminder to prepare to tend to these things that matter, these things that we hold dear, these things that God has given us in blessing and abundance.
A new season is coming.
We are waiting for a more fruitful time when we will see Spring renew the world again.
What has appeared to be dead and gone will gain new life again.
God’s people must hold on and stay true to our values.
There is no turning to the right or the left.
We must not give in and accept the ways of those who do not and will not follow God. They are not the true ways from God.
Shevat is our reminder to stay true.
We must not forget that even the angels are employed and ready to help us. They are walking among the nations now. Let’s work with them for the good of God’s Kingdom. I pray that their reports to God of us are good and peaceful.
Let’s follow the path that Shevat sets before us.
It will take us to our true destiny and the truths of God for the year to come.