On this fourth night of Chanukah, we give thanks for the everyday victories the Lord has made possible for us.
Messianic Jewish Chanukah Blessings
Place four candles in the chanukiah tonight, setting them in the holders from right to left. As you light the Shamash, or Servant Candle, recite the Messianic Jewish Chanukah blessings:
Blessed are You, LORD, our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with Your commandments and has given us Yeshua the Messiah, the Light of the World.
Blessed are You, LORD, our God, King of the universe, who has performed miracles for our ancestors in those days at this time.
Candle Lighting
Using the Shamash, light the Chanukah candles in the opposite direction from which you placed them in the holders. Light them from left to right. Return the Shamash to its place. Let the candles go out on their own. They should burn for a least half an hour.
Devotion
Last night, we reflected on our victorious God, who will soon bring to fruition the ultimate victory He has already won over evil. Tonight, we praise Him for making His power available to us through His Holy Spirit. Temptations and trials of all sizes come against us every day from our spiritual enemy. In our flesh, in our own strength, we lack the power to achieve victory – just like the Maccabees were insufficient in number against Antiochus’ soldiers. But with God’s strength, we can overcome. In Messiah, when we walk in the Spirit, we have all of God’s power available to us to fight temptations and get through any trials victoriously.
Chanukah reminds us that, as believers in Jesus, we can experience victory every day, in ways small and large.
From the Lord’s Word
With God we will gain the victory, and He will trample down our enemies.––Psalm 60:12 NIV
For the Lord takes delight in His people; He crowns the humble with victory. ––Psalm 149:4 NIV
But thanks be to God, who keeps giving us the victory through our Lord Yeshua Messiah! ––1 Corinthians 15:57
Who shall separate us from the love of Messiah? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger or sword? But in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. ––Romans 8:35, 37
Prayer
Thank You, Lord, for giving us Your Holy Spirit to empower and encourage us in the everyday battles we face. Your Word says that we will experience troubles in this world, but we can take heart because You have overcome the world (John 16:33). Help us to walk each day in Your Spirit, living victorious lives that reveal Your power and glory to all around us.