How Hanukkah Teaches Us to See the Miracles in Our Own Lives

Do you know how miracles happen? A miracle just takes one step of faith and God takes care of the rest! That’s what we learn in today’s special Hanukkah episode, where podcast host Yael Eckstein dives into the story of the miracle of the oil. We learn how when rededicating the Temple in ancient times, God’s people lit the menorah on faith alone because they knew they didn’t have enough pure oil for it to burn more than one day. And guess what? God performed a miracle, and the flame lasted for eight days until they could get more pure oil! This Hanukkah, all God wants us to do is light that first candle and then He will provide the rest. Just as the Hanukkah story has inspired the Jewish people throughout history, let God’s miracles in our own lives encourage the light of others, ignite hope, and let our faith burn bright! Listen now!

Episode Notes

In today’s episode, host Yael Eckstein , President and CEO of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, continues her four-part series about a well-known Jewish holiday that carries a message of faith, hope, and courage that is so relevant for both Jews and Christians today — Hanukkah!

In this episode, we learn all about the miracle of the oil during the time of the Maccabees. As Yael explains, after defeating the Greeks, the first thing that the Maccabees did was clean up the Temple to make it ready for daily sacrifices to the Lord. Part of this process was lighting the seven-branch menorah that stood in the courtyard of the Temple. There was just one problem: they found just one jar of oil which was only enough to burn the menorah for one day.

But this didn’t matter to God. What mattered was that His people trusted Him and had faith in Him to light the menorah anyways. And because of this, God made the flame last eight days until they had new oil. He gave His people a miracle!

On Hanukkah, the Jewish people remember that God wants us to let everyone know that He performs miracles for those who have faith in Him. Yael reads in Psalm 9:1: “I will give thanks to you, LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.”

God commands us to tell others of His wonderful deeds, to let others know that He has performed miracles, and still performs them today. All we need is enough faith and the desire to spread hope and light to others! As we share our own miracles, we light the candle of hope and faith in others!