Feast of Booths

Feast of Booths
Deuteronomy 16:13-17

Our true story comes from a part of the Bible called Deuteronomy. The word “Deuteronomy” is a funny word that means “second telling of the law.”

We celebrate a lot of things, don’t we? We celebrate birthdays! We celebrate Christmas! And we celebrate New Year’s Eve! But in our Bible Story today, God wanted His people, the Israelites, to celebrate for a different reason.


The people worked in their gardens every day, and they grew lots of food. But it was God who helped them.


God made the sun to shine.


God made the rain to water the plants.


God even made the food grow. So God wanted His people to take time to thank Him for all He had done to help them.


So that’s what they did! They got everyone together—sons, daughters, people who lived in town, people who lived out of town—EVERYONE came to do what God said. And they celebrated for . . . are you ready for this . . . SEVEN DAYS!  Let’s count to seven: One, two, three, four, five, six, SEVEN!


They celebrated for seven days and seven nights! It was a BIG way to say thank You to God for helping them! Hey! Let’s celebrate and say, “Thank You” to God right now! When I count to three, we all say: “Thank You, God!” Ready? One, two, three . . . “Thank You, God!” Thank You, God, for all of Your help!


The people in our story could have joy all the time because God helped them all the time! And we can have joy all the time, because God helps us too! Does God still make the sun shine? Yes!


Does God still make it rain? Yes!


Does God still make our food grow? Does God still make our food grow? Yes, God still helps us all the time, so we can celebrate God and have joy all the time! So, when anyone asks you, “Who can have joy all the time? You can say, “I can have joy all the time!”






Bible Paraphrase: A joyful heart is good medicine. —Proverbs 17:22, ESV

Text Truth: I can have joy because God helps me.



Family Devotional

Celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles for seven days after you have gathered the produce of your threshing floor and your winepress. Be joyful at your festival—you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, and the Levites, the foreigners, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns. For seven days celebrate the festival to the Lord your God at the place the Lord will choose. For the Lord your God will bless you in all your harvest and in all the work of your hands, and your joy will be complete.

Three times a year all your men must appear before the Lord your God at the place he will choose: at the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the Festival of Weeks and the Festival of Tabernacles. No one should appear before the Lord empty-handed: Each of you must bring a gift in proportion to the way the Lord your God has blessed you. —Deuteronomy 16:13-17

In our Bible Story, the people had joy and celebrated because God helped them. The celebration was like a big THANK YOU to God! Do you remember how God helped the people? God made the sun shine. God made it rain. And God made the food grow! 

We can have joy because God helps us, too. Every time we see the sun shine, we can have joy and say: “Thank You, God!” Every time we see the rain fall, we can have joy and say: “Thank You, God!” Every time we eat food, we can have joy and say: “Thank You, God!” God is helping us all the time, so we can have joy all the time! So, when anyone asks you, “Who can have joy all the time?” You can say, “I can have joy all the time!” Yay, God! Thank You for helping us!

A joyful heart is good medicine. —Proverbs 17:22, ESV

With your family, take a piece of paper and make a list of your favorite foods. Have each family member write down their favorite food. And make sure each family member writes their name next to their favorite food. When you pray, you can thank God for your favorite foods.

Pray with your family. Allow any family members to pray if they wish. In your own words, say, “Dear God, thank You for making the sun shine. Thank You for making the rain fall. Thank You for making food grow. And thank You for the yummy things we get to eat, like (read the list your family made). Please help us have joy each time we remember all the ways You help us every day. You’re the best, God, and we love You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”

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