KINDLE THE SABBATH LIGHTS

 

From the heart of the Creator

Who shows His love for humankind

by preparing a universe

and a perfect environment to sustain all life,

what better message and best proof of Divine LOVE

could humanity expect than

His Created world which, in His Divine providence,

He designed not only as ‘good’ but ‘very good’!

 

The stage was set

before the the first of humanity entered the scene.

What an all wise Creator is our God of Love,

YHWH,

Blessed be His Holy Name!

 

With each setting of the life-nurturing and light-giving sun,

the Master Designer of the universe reminds us that a new day begins,

not facing a day’s labor but winding down to a good night’s rest.

And at the end of our six day work-week,

rises the Queen of Days just as His sun sinks in the horizon from our view,

signaling it is time to kindle the Sabbath lights,

and whether alone or together with family or friends,

reflect on the Wisdom of Divine Providence

that fill the days of our lives with messages of love

from the very heart of our great God

YHWH,

Praised be His Holy Name.

 And as if all that the Creator had prepared for humankind were not enough,

by His grace and because of His love for us,  

created beings He made in His image,

He did not leave us ignorant of His Will,

His Wishes

and His Way 

designed for humanity to live with one another,

connected always to Him

through His Tree of Life,

His Revelation in His TORAH,

which He gifted to humanity through His chosen people,

that they might live in peace and harmony in the Land of Promise,

where their way of life would be visible to the nations,

so that Gentiles in all nations would be drawn

to His Way,

and to HIM

Who expressed His Will and Wishes for all.  

Truly, our God YHWH, has shown His great love for us,

by blessing us with His TORAH.  

Praised be His Holy Name!

 

Psalm 145

 A song of Praise, of David

[revised and combined from ESV and AST]

 

I will exalt You, my God the King,

and I will bless Your Name forever and ever.

Every day I will bless You and praise Your Name forever and ever.

Great is YHWH, and greatly to be praised,

and His greatness is unsearchable.

Each generation will praise Your deeds to the next

and of Your mighty deeds they will tell;

On the glorious splendor of Your majesty,

and on Your wondrous deeds, I will meditate.

And of the might of Your awesome deeds they will speak,

and Your greatness I shall relate.

They shall pour forth the fame of Your abundant goodness

and shall sing aloud of Your righteousness.

YHWH is gracious and merciful,

slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

YHWH is good to all, and His mercies are all on His works.

All Your works shall thank You, O YHWH,

and your devout ones will bless You!

They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom

and tell of Your power,

to make known to the children of man Your mighty deeds,

and the glorious splendor of Your kingdom.

Your Kingdom is an everlasting kingdom

and Your dominion endures throughout all generations.

[YHWH is faithful in all His words and kind in all His works.]

YHWH upholds all who are falling and raises up all who are bowed down.

The eyes of all look to You, and You give them their food in due season.

You open Your hand,

You satisfy the desire of every living thing.

YHWH is righteous in all His ways and kind in all His works.

YHWH is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in Truth.

He fulfills the desire of those who fear Him;

He also hears their cry and saves them.

YHWH protects all who love Him,

but all the wicked He will destroy.

May my mouth declare the praise of YHWH,

and may all flesh bless His Holy Name forever and ever.

Image from www.lotterypost.com

 

[Sonnet 43  was written by Elizabeth Barrett Browning;  we are borrowing her poetry to express our love for YHWH our God, but with revisions to suit a Sinaite’s creed]

How Do I Love Thee? 

How do I love Thee? Let me count the ways.

 

I love Thee to the depth and breadth and height my soul can reach,

when feeling out of sight, for the ends of being and ideal grace.

 

I love Thee to the level of every day’s most quiet need, by sun and candlelight.

 

I love Thee freely, as men strive for right;  

 

I love Thee purely, as they turn [to] praise.

 

I love Thee with the passion put to use in my old griefs, and with my childhood’s faith.

 

I love Thee with a love I seemed to [never have lost despite the passing of time];

 

I love Thee with the breath, smiles, tears, of all my life;

 

[and if Thou, YHWH so choose to grant me my eternal rest],

 I shall but love Thee [even to my] end in this life.

 

 

 

 

Shabbat shalom!