Do you know that God cares for you? That seems like a simple enough question to ask but you cannot really understand the depth of God’s concern for his people unless you know about God’s calendar.
Did you know that God has a calendar? It’s been used and celebrated for the past 3500 years or so. God, the One who wants to be known for his glory’s sake, set up daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly divine appointments for his people to unite for and celebrate.
Did you know that there are a minimum of 801 divine appointments in a year? When I realized that, it blew my mind. I had to do the math myself:
Daily– Morning and Evening Prayers (Deuteronomy 6:7- the Sh’ma Prayer) – Twice daily is a minimum of 730 prayers in a year. In case you did not know this is the twice daily prayer that starts and ends your day right. You can start today. Just get out your Bible and read aloud Deuteronomy 6:4-9, Deuteronomy 11: 13-21, and Numbers 15:37-41. It is an invitation to remember God, remember redemption, and remember to keep his Ways. These twice daily prayers (not even counting the prayers before…optional… and after meals…not optional) are a chance God have given his people to take time to pause and reflect on what is important in life!
Weekly– The Seventh Day Sabbath (Exodus 20:8-11- the Shabbat) – There are 52 weekly Shabbats in a year. The Seventh day is the only day that was specifically “hallowed” or set apart by God. It is the most ancient treasure God gave to his people and it began in the Garden of Eden. God rested on the Sabbath day, the Children of Israel have rested on the Sabbath day for years, even Yeshua kept the Sabbath day (not according to the heavy traditions of man but according to the Spirit of Torah), the disciples of Acts kept the Sabbath day, so why shouldn’t we today? The Sabbath is a weekly chance to recharge, fellowship, and study the Word.
Monthly– The Rosh Chodesh (Ezekiel 46:3, Psalm 81:3- the New Moon or “Head of the Month”) – There are 12 new moons in a year. It is supposed to be celebrated with the blowing of the shofar and the reading of Hallel (Psalm 113-118). It’s a great time to pause and reflect on a new month to rededicate yourself to the Lord.
Yearly– There are 7 Forever Festivals (Leviticus 23) that are also on God’s calendar. These Biblical holidays cause us to remember important themes of the Word: 1) Redemption 2) Purity 3) Thanksgiving 4) The Law and the Spirit 5) God’s Presence 6) The 2nd Coming of Messiah 7) Eternal Atonement. These festivals don’t even count the optional festivals like Purim, Hanukkah, the fasts, the remembrance days, etc.
The beauty of God’s calendar shows that God wants to “meet” with us several times a year! He’s not some aloof distant force in the sky (sorry Ben Franklin). He’s very real and he’s very present. The God appointed holidays are a chance to celebrate the Living God and his Living Word. There are 801 slots open on God’s calendar for YOU to meet with the King of the Universe. I don’t know about you but I can’t wait for the next one! We’ll it’s after midnight and it’s time to say a late Sh’ma. I’m expecting God to do a great thing when I pray!
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