Yom Kippur - Choose Life!
Tonight at sundown Yom Kippur begins. This day is the highest, most holy day of the Jewish Holiday.
Leviticus 16:29-31
“It is to be a permanent regulation for you that on the tenth day of the seventh month you are to deny yourselves and not do any kind of work, both the citizen and the foreigner living with you. 30 For on this day, atonement will be made for you to purify you; you will be clean before Adonai from all your sins. 31 It is a Shabbat of complete rest for you, and you are to deny yourselves.
In Israel there is no one driving, even the airport shuts down. They take this seriously... well, they are supposed too.
I admit that one year we had a guest and she wanted to return to her hotel. I did not want to go, but chose too. The ridicule and scorn I felt as I drove through a village was awful. I was scared as they surrounded my car and I thought they might throw stones. It is supposed to be a day of asking for forgiveness and turning from sin. I felt so much condemnation that day from other people.
The question in the verse above is what does, "deny yourselves" really mean? The Jews today fast for a full 24 hours as their way of "denying themselves." However, no where is that made clear. I can see where a fast is that. No argument there. It is a good way to become clean. Enjoying a Shabbat of complete rest is also wonderful.
This question can also tie into the question of, "are we to die to self?" This is often taught in Christian circles. As I have done a little research, I don't think it means what we have always thought. Here is a link to a blog that has a different thought.
There is definitely the idea that we need to change. What we need to realize is, when we choose to follow Christ we ARE a "new person." We are not to be selfish. We are not to be "caught in the ways of the world." We have already died to the old. We ARE new.
Does it take time to learn and throw off all the old habits? For sure. However, we need to walk in the idea and thought process that we ARE new and that should spur us on. It should be known that we ARE clean, and we need the reminders (like Yom Kippur) to help us, but we focus on the positive, not the negative.
It's time to change our way of thinking. Instead of waking up and thinking about all we "can't" or "shouldn't" do, we need to wake up saying, "Today I will choose joy." "Today I will choose peace." "Today I will choose faith." Focus on the NEW and KNOW that we can accomplish these things because of HIS strength inside of us!
Choose LIFE. Choose NEW.
Take today to reflect, apologize to those you need to, and KNOW that He has washed you clean and you can stand before Him KNOWING that you are HIS.
Love and blessings,
Rose
