Blessed Sukkoth: A Festival of Huts

Robert Alter translates the usual phrase, the Feast of Tabernacles as a Festival of Huts. It is a time to build huts where all Israelites are to stay in huts or tents for 7 days throughout the Feast. Today is the Feast of Tabernacles. I attended a service last night but the preacher did not once mention the Feast, though his message was good and relevant to what I have been going through. The Feast of Tabernacles is a feast of thanksgiving for all the blessings of God throughout the year. The Israelites gather their final harvest of grapes and olives toward the end of September and early October and the Feast on 15th Tishri (7th month) is marked by full moon, a sign in heaven, a kind of reminder that God is the Creator of the universe and the Master of Time and if He is the Creator (out of nothing), He is also the provider for His people, Yhwh Jireh. I give You thanks, O Lord for all Your grace and provision over these 5 years since I have been back in Sabah. For 50 months I had laboured in the mission fields, and harvests are plenty. And I am still labouring.
Many souls were strengthened and many heard the Gospel anew. Who says Christians don't need the Gospel? New generations, children of believers need to hear the Gospel so that the young are converted and added to the ranks. In the past 12 hours, I have made one big decision. It is a response as Thanksgiving to God's goodness and provision. I paid half of the costs of my book, trusting that it will be ready by December. I have read the final draft 10 times in the past fortnight and today at noon I submitted that one last PDF file to my publishers. They will help format and design and I trust I can get the final copy before it goes for printing by the end of next week. When I mentioned to my publishers whether I could get it earlier, his reply was that in a pdf file I could bring it with me and read it in Pulau Banggi as I had told him that I was travelling again. I felt at that moment that I was in the centre of God's will, following hard after Christ, preaching the Gospel to the nations and the natives and even to the Bongi tribe of Banggi Island, God willing. There is a plentiful harvest. Workers may be few but send me, Lord. Here am I, send me! I am celebrating God's abundant goodness for Christ came to give life and life abundantly. Blessed Sukkoth, my readers!