It is December! In this month, we celebrate Hanukkah and Christmas. Both of these historical events are times of miracles and light! This year, Hanukkah starts at sundown on Christmas Day and goes to sundown on January 2.

Five generations after David, King Jehoshaphat, King of Judah, faced the formidable armies of Moab, Ammon, and Mt. Seir.  Outnumbered and doomed to destruction, King Jehoshaphat led the people of Judah in an admirable response.  He humbled himself, called a fast, and gathered all to pray and seek the face of the Lord, saying, “O our God, will You not judge them?  For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.” (2 Chronicles 20:12).

Since October 7, 2023, Israel has faced what some are calling a "mental health tsunami," with up to one-third of the population now experiencing post-trauma disorders.

As we discussed last month, in his New York Times bestseller, The Body Keeps the Score, Dr. Bessel van der Kolk outlines the profound impact trauma has on the mind, emotions, and physical body.

An invitation is being given to join a global community that will couple prayers with the added dimension of fasting during the 21 days leading up to the Day of Atonement, September 22 - October 12. We are contending with worship, prayers, tears, travail, and fasting for an end to the war, pushing back antisemitism, and awakening in Israel to a complete restoration of the Father’s purposes for the land and the people.  

The three weeks from the 17th of Tammuz to the 9th of Av (July 23 - August 13) is a time of hardship in Israel. This period is referred to as 'between the straits', taken from Lamentations 1:3, which describes Judah's suffering and captivity. The phrase signifies navigating through grave dangers on both sides, akin to passing through a narrow path to avoid disaster. For example, a few months ago, our youngest daughter was on a catamaran with friends passing through the Strait of Gibraltar, a narrow passageway between Spain and Africa. They had to be on high alert as many boats in that area were attacked by Orca whales, causing great damage. We were thankful that the Lord protected them.

When the people of Israel bemoaned being forgotten by God, the Lord responded, as recorded in Isaiah 49:14-15, “Can a woman forget her nursing child, and not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, yet I will not forget you. See, I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands; Your walls are continually before Me.” The heart of the Father is expressed in various ways in Scripture towards the Jewish people, such as His Firstborn, Beloved, Hephzibah (My Delight is in Her), Beulah (Married), and Apple of His Eye.

Have you ever considered the importance of always remaining on the right side of God, the right side of His Word, and the right side of History? There is something about having only one life to live, one opportunity to make it count for good, and knowing that when we go into eternity, there will be no regrets. Perhaps that was ingrained in me when I was two years old and almost died from an infection that landed me in the hospital for an extended stay. Perhaps it was confirmed when I had a vision of seeing ancestors in heaven, including my grandmother, who had died ten years prior. I heard them speak to me as I stared at them in glory, wondering how I could see them when I was still alive on earth. They said, “You are Patricia. Our race is over. You have the capacity to bring light into dark places. We are cheering you on. Tell them of this place. Tell them He is worth it all.” Needless to say, I was overcome with emotion - and a determination to make every breath of my remaining life count

The ability to overcome is imperative to living one's God-given calling. It is not a matter of if we will sin, be knocked down, hurt, blocked, or mistreated. It is a matter of whether we will prevail and shift from sinner to forgiven, victim to victorious, hurt to healed, or from mess to messenger. Proverbs 26:16 says, “For though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again.”

The Bible has much to say about the importance of hope, which is closely linked with faith. Hope involves optimism and the expectation of positive outcomes despite present circumstances. Hope is ingrained in Jewish culture. Indeed, the Hatikvah, Israel’s National Anthem, means ‘The Hope.’

Sometimes the Lord whispers, but there are times when He roars. When He does, let the earth tremble at His majesty. We may be at war, but God is about to roar.

At least 144 times, the fear of the Lord is mentioned in the Bible, with 19 of those from the New Testament.  Perhaps a lack of importance has been placed on this key Biblical admonishment. 

I have sought to learn many things from the Jewish people, such as how they have kept the Sabbath faithfully through the years and have a culture of blessing. Also, how they value things like a coming-of-age ceremony they call the Bar Mitzvah (Son of the Commandment) or Bat Mitzvah (Daughter of the Commandment). Indeed, my husband and I have incorporated many things in our parenting taught by the Jewish people. We celebrate the Sabbath the Jewish way and conduct a Bar Barakah (Son of the Blessing) and Bat Barakah (Daughter of the Blessing) for each of our six children when they reach thirteen, which has been a great blessing to them.

Truly, there is a battle not only in the land of Israel with tanks and guns but in worldwide ideology. It is the battle for truth.

What an incredible Savior to humble Himself to leave the glories of heavenly splendor to embrace humanity.

And so the Lord speaks over all who will come to Him. He is our defender. He is our healer. He is the one who gives “beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness” (Isaiah 61:3).

It is impossible to ignore the miraculous nature of the State of Israel. David Ben-Gurion, the first Prime Minister, stated, “In Israel, in order to be a realist, you must believe in miracles.” For those with ‘eyes to see,’ it is also evident Israel is living in the unfolding Biblical prophecies.

The Lord is challenging us as intercessors to ensure the standard of our speech is high in life, purity, and anointing. We come to the Lord out of a relationship with Him with words in prayer, petitioning, and standing in the gap for others.

Forgiveness can take different forms. We need forgiveness for attitudes, thoughts, and actions we have done outside of the will of God. There is the forgiveness of others for wrongs done against us. Forgiveness is needed towards ourselves for wrongs that cost us in some form.

Intercessor in Hebrew is ‘paga’ meaning one who reaches, encounters, and entreats with urgent petitions just as one reaches God with urgent requests. The Lord continues to search for intercessors, as in Isaiah 59:16, where He “wondered that there was no intercessor.” Ezekiel 22:30 says, “So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land.”

It is an exciting time to be alive in God’s Kingdom on Earth. We get to be part of the company of God’s army, helping to push back the powers of darkness and usher in the power of His Presence over His beloved firstborn Israel.