The message of the Feast of Tabernacles is that it really isn't about us. God has a vast and wonderful plan, and we certainly aren't the only ones God wants in His family! We are here for training. The Feast pictures what we are training for: a time when all of mankind has the opportunity to know, love and follow God. At that time we get to help those people understand God's way so that they want to embrace it for eternity. In essence, we are training now to serve anyone and everyone that we come into contact with.

Celebrate this Feast of Tabernacles by showing God that our heart's desire is to give and share all that God has blessed us with.

With that in mind, let's take a look at what God commands us to do while we are celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles: "Take the money in your hand…and you shall spend that money for whatever your heart desires: for oxen or sheep, for wine or similar drink, for whatever your heart desires; you shall eat there before the Lord your God, and you shall rejoice" (Deuteronomy 14:25-26). God tells us to take the tithe we have been saving all year and spend it on "whatever our heart desires." So, I have two questions for you today: What does your heart desire, and what does that tell God about you?

Have you ever gotten to the end of the Feast and you realized you spent all your tithe money on yourself? I have. It's a sickening feeling when you realize what abundance you had and the fact that you didn't even think to share it with anyone else. At that Feast my heart desired things. Clothes, books, special trinkets and coffee mugs. What message did that send to God about me, about where my heart truly was? Remember what Christ said: "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Matthew 6:21). If we focus all our treasure on ourselves, we are showing God that our hearts are focused on self. What that communicated to God was that I still needed a lot of training before I was ready to serve in His Kingdom. So how do we orient our hearts so that we use our abundance to pour out blessings on other people each year at the Feast?

1. Re-read the scriptures commanding us to observe these days

Sometimes it helps to have a reminder of why we are doing what we are doing. Are we going on vacation? Or are we going to the Feast with the intention of learning how to better fulfill God's purpose for us? We need to leave those eight days having a deeper understanding of how to love and serve others. We have a much better chance of doing this if we begin by reviewing God's purpose for commanding us to go each year.

2. Jump in and sign up

There are so many ways to help at the Feast! I have found that if I am physically serving other people it puts me in the frame of mind that it is not about me. Sometimes the physical helps to prompt the spiritual. Set up chairs, help in the mother's room, count the offerings, sing in the choir or be a door greeter. Remember, getting up a little earlier to help is not just the right thing to do, it's the reason we are there!

God needs people who love the way of give. If we do not learn to love to give and serve now, it's not something God will just grant us in His Kingdom. Let's celebrate this Feast by showing God that our heart's desire is to give and share all that God has blessed us with. Let our mantra be to give as much as we can to whoever we can this year and it will be a truly abundant and blessed Feast of Tabernacles!