Take Branches

In Leviticus 23 we are first told to rejoice…

On the first day you are to take branches from luxuriant trees—from palms, willows and other leafy trees—and rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days.

I love this celebration.  God loves celebration.  He set forth this particular one by instructing the people to take branches from “luxuriant trees” and use them in their rejoicing before the Lord for seven days!

Remember in the New Testament, when Jesus entered the town on a donkey, people waved palm branches, lining the pathway for their King.

What a fun thing it would be to do with our kids, our spouses, or our friends – to gather in a park somewhere and perhaps gather branches that have fallen from trees – and have a celebration of praise.

Branches waving in the wind make a cool noise, like something is about to happen, the winds are blowing in a time of change – like a change of season.

Waving branches requires movement on our part, lifting our arms and moving them back and forth, purposefully praising and rejoicing – much like we do in worship – only without branches.

And waving branches is joining in with God’s creation that sways and bends in the wind in applause to their Creator every time the breezes blow.

I want to celebrate all of the goodness of God in my life, and I want to live a life of rejoicing, and sometimes I want to actually wave some branches.

Will you join me?