Day 11 - Celebrating Purim

Verse of the Day:

"He wrote them to observe the days as days of feasting and joy and giving presents of food to one another and gifts to the poor." Esther 9:22b

Yesterday February 28, 2010, our Jewish brothers and sisters celebrated the holiday of Purim. The story of Purim is told in the book of Esther. It shares how Esther trusting God saved the Jews from certain death. Knowing that people tend to have short memories when it comes to God's faithfulness, Mordecai (Esther's cousin) sends out letters to all Jews to celebrate annually,"as the time when the Jews got relief from their enemies and the month when their sorrow was turned into joy and their mourning into a day of celebration" (Esther 22a). Part of the holiday tradition is to send out gifts of food or drink, and to make gifts to charity. The sending of gifts of food and drink is referred to as shalach manos.

We too forget how faithful God is, so I challenge you to give a gift of food and drink to someone in honor of Purim remembering how much God loves us.