The Season of Our Joy

Dance, Dance Under the Rain

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The LORD your God in your midst

The Mighty One, will save;

He will rejoice over you with gladness,

He will quiet you with His love;

He will rejoice over you with singing.

- Zephaniah 3:17

Today October bids us good-bye.

It has surely been an unexpected kind of month for me and our family. My daughter in law Chosen One was not due to give birth to her second baby until the second week of November.

October would then be a good time for me to visit my daughter in Manila again. I could be back in time for our family birthday celebrations, as well as to welcome my third grandson when he finally arrives. 

Early on October 5, a Sunday, I booked my flight. The plan was for me to leave on the 9th, the day after the first night of the Feast of Tabernacles, to enable me to celebrate this feast in a worship festival at the New Government Center together with my friends. My return date was early morning of the 20th, just in time for a lunch celebration of Forerunner's 6th birthday.

That planned trip never materialized. As I had written in a previous post, after lunch that same Sunday, I got a call from my son. Chosen One's bag of waters ruptured and they were on their way to the hospital.

Chosen One was admitted, and her doctor ordered complete bed rest for her, as the ultrasound results showed no traces of infection, low normal amniotic fluid in her womb, and the baby's heartbeat was strong and normal. She was given antibiotics, and steroids to protect the baby's still immature lungs.

What did I feel in all this?

I must admit, I was anxious. After all, anything could go wrong... Weighing only a little more than 4 pounds, the baby was tiny. And at 33 weeks, he still had fluid in his lungs. And since he was going to be born by Caesarian section, and being a preemie at that, the possibility of him being born with wet lungs syndrome was high. 

With money and power, we can put a mask over our fears. We can get things done our way... manipulate circumstances to make them work in our favor. But when things are beyond our control, we realize just how truly vulnerable and helpless we are.

In truth, we are always utterly dependent on God. He alone holds our lives in His hands. But how easy it is to lose sight of this, especially when things are going our way, or when we can make things work in our own strength and ability.

God "rocks the boat" of our comfortable lives by allowing circumstances that force us to run to Him, admitting our need for His intervention and help.

At a time like this, after the necessary "human" steps have been taken, all we have left is a heartfelt prayer.

One would be a fool not to take the path of prayer when the only way out is by looking up. At many seeming cul-de-sac and rock bottom situations of my life, prayer and worship have been my lifeline to Almighty God.

As an act of obedience and faith, I chose not to dwell on what could go wrong, Instead I thanked God in advance for His protection and victory. I surrounded my dear Chosen One and her baby with songs of praise.

I chose the path of joy.

As always, God had been preparing my heart. Just that Sunday afternoon, a few minutes before Worshiper called, I was reading Nehemiah, and the verse I was meditating on was Chapter 8:10 - 

...this day is holy to our LORD.

Do not sorrow for the joy of the LORD is your strength.

I brought my fears before God and laid them at His feet. I chose to believe that my Abba Father knew what He was doing.

As I prayed, my heart overflowed with love for my second son, and his wife, and their coming baby. They were a godly couple, hardworking, and God fearing. I admired them for their values and principles. My son was loving and caring, Chosen One was submissive and honoring toward her husband.

At a young age, they had already experienced a difficult childbirth nearly four years ago, when their first son Full of Hope was born as a distressed baby, with water in his lungs, neonatal pneumonia, and blood infection. He had to be in the neonatal ICU for 11 days before he was finally declared healthy and fit to be brought home.

Even then, Father God had been faithful. That baby is now a healthy, vibrant, joyful, smart 4 year old boy.

"I'm am now a kuya," he would tell everyone. Kuya means "big brother" in our dialect.

Early on October 8, I was down on my knees for my third grandson who was going to be born at around 8 oclock that morning.

What a meaningful day for him to be born! At sundown of that very day we were going to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles, a seven-day feast commemorating the goodness and faithfulness of God toward His people. 

One of the seven feasts of the Lord, this was very important and meaningful not only for Jews, but also for all Christians who are getting reconnected to the Hebrew foundations of their faith. The Hebrew word hag means "to dance or to be joyous," or literally, "to be giddy with joy."

And indeed,  this feast celebrating the final harvest of fruit was a special time of joy; it was also called Z'man Simchateinu, or "the season of our joy."

Afred Edersheim writes in The Temple: Its Ministry and Services, that the Feast of Tabernacles was the joyous high point of the year in ancient Israel:

The most joyous of all festive seasons in Israel was that of the ‘Feast of Tabernacles.’ It fell on a time of year when the hearts of the people would naturally be full of thankfulness, gladness, and expectancy. All the crops had been long stored; and now all fruits were also gathered, the vintage past, and the land only awaited the softening and refreshment of the ‘latter rain,’ to prepare it for a new crop. It was appropriate that, when the commencement of the harvest had been consecrated by offering the first ripe sheaf of barley, and the full ingathering of the corn by the two wave-loaves, there should now be a harvest feast of thankfulness and of gladness unto the Lord. 

At this feast, the Jews rejoiced, and thanked God in advance for the rains that they are asking Him to give, in preparation for the new crop. 

It was at this feast that John writes these words:

In the last day, that great day of the feast, 
Jesus stood and cried, saying, 
If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink.
- John 7:37

Down on my knees, I thanked God for the birth of this baby, and I gave him the name Joyful One... for his birth was indeed a harbinger of joy for our family.

That same morning, Abba Father spoke Zephaniah 3:17 clearly into my heart. He is singing His love song over all of us, especially over Joyful One.

He is in our midst, He is mighty to save, He quiets us with His love. He dances over us with joy!

Abba sings a love song... and He invites us to respond. 

If I receive His songs of joy, then fear has no room in my heart. Only rejoicing in His love.

Heaven must be bursting with songs of life, our sure protection from the lies the enemy would have us believe.

Father God says, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear what the Spirit is saying."

We need to activate our spiritual senses for spiritual things are spiritually discerned.

Joyful One, whom his parents have named Jeremiah David, was born weighing 4 pounds 12 ounces.

Together with friends, I celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles at the government center that evening. There was food overflowing in every tent, and an atmosphere of joy and excitement while the stage with the band and singers was being prepared. But before we could begin with the worship celebration, there was a deafening thunderstorm followed by a heavy downpour. We thought the skies would eventually clear up and we would be able to see the blood moon up in the sky as it rose, but the rains continued to pour without letup.

We remained in our tents, enjoying the food and the company of one another. Many of the young people danced in the rain.

In the midst of the pouring rain I was having a conversation with Abba Avinu. Rain down your favor upon our family, dear Father. Surround my grandson with your healing presence. Sing over him your songs of deliverance. 

Father God whispered gently, Trust Me in this, My dear daughter.

Within 36 hours, the baby's lungs had been completely drained of fluids, and he was breathing normally on his own. He also began breastfeeding 36 hours after birth, and there was no trace of infection in his body. He was discharged 8 days later.

Indeed, this is the season of our joy. And I name this month as such...

Thank You Abba Father. Again, words are not enough for the joy that I feel. You have done all things well. You are trustworthy. You alone deserve our praise and thanksgiving.

 Joyful One, a few minutes after birth

at five days old

at 11 days old

This beautiful song is my prayer for Joyful One:

Sing Over Me

I live in the wonder of Your love

You rise like the sun in my heart

Even when the night draws near to me

There You are

I will wade in the water of mercy

I will walk in the light of Your will

Whatever should come against me

Teach me to be still

As You sing over me

Draw me close to rest in Your peace

Sing over me

Oh, sing

Sing of Your unending faithfulness

That knows no doubt or fear

In the face of all that I don't know yet

Remind me of who You are

Sing over me

Draw me close to rest in Your peace

Sing over me, 

Oh, sing

You are mighty, You will save

Rejoice over me with singing

You will quiet by Your love

Glory over me with singing

You are mighty, You will save

Rejoice over me with singing

You will quiet by Your love

Glory over me with singing

Sing over me

Draw me close to rest in Your peace

Sing over me

Oh, sing

Related blog entry: A New Season, A New Name