The Feast of Tabernacles is a cherished time for those in God's church, marking an exhilarating climax to the year that energizes us for the challenges ahead. It combines spiritual and physical fulfillment, fostering a hopeful expectation of joy surpassing any other period. God commands us to keep the Feast to enjoy the fruits of our labors and His blessings, and to learn, emphasizing that it is not merely a vacation but a purposeful interlude requiring effort. This learning includes developing a fear of God, which ranges from anxious concern to deep reverence and occasional terror, arising from an awareness of being in His presence. God places significant importance on the Feast of Tabernacles, as illustrated by the substantial resources He instructs us to set aside for it, ensuring we can rejoice and learn to fear Him simultaneously. The concept of dwelling in booths during the Feast, reminiscent of Israel's time in the wilderness, teaches us about temporariness and impermanence, reminding us to view ourselves as aliens and pilgrims in this world, not permanently anchored to it, but passing through toward a greater inheritance. At the Feast, God commands daily confrontation with Him through services, testing our discipline and priorities amidst prosperity and potential distractions. He provides for our needs, not in wrath but to teach us dependence on Him, revealing whether we live by faith or by sight. The Feast helps us separate temporal vanity from spiritual reality, focusing on what truly matters in His purpose. Booths remind us of God's provision and our unsettled position in this world, orienting us toward His Kingdom as we walk by faith. A concentrated dose of God's Word during the Feast strengthens our focus on His purpose, encouraging us to examine ourselves, apply effort, and rejoice with intention while learning to fear Him.

In these days and weeks following the Feast of Tabernacles and the Last Great Day, we in God's church should be preparing both physically and spiritually for next year's Feast. Armed with the experiences of this year's Feast, we can learn from both the good and the bad that we encountered. To prepare our children, we must train them throughout the year for proper behavior during services, using daily and weekly sessions to teach them to remain quiet and calm with special books and toys reserved for those times. Effort spent in proper training now will lead to benefits extending beyond next year's Feast of Tabernacles. Additionally, to ensure attendance at the location where God chooses to place His name, we must start immediately to save our festival tithe, supplementing it with additional funds if necessary by forgoing unnecessary expenditures during the year. Let us prepare both physically and spiritually for next year's Feast, being armed with the experiences of this year's Feast that has just finished. The Feast is over! Prepare for the Feast!