Leviticus 23:15-17 “You shall count seven full weeks from the day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering. You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath. Then you shall present a grain offering of new grain to the LORD. You shall bring from your dwelling places two loaves of bread to be waved, made of two-tenths of an ephah. They shall be of fine flour, and they shall be baked with leaven, as firstfruits to the LORD.
In the Tenach (Old Testament), the Lord commanded Israel to count the Omer (the Barley Harvest) beginning the day after the sabbath during Passover, 50 days to the Biblical Festival of Shavuot (Pentecost).
What’s truly remarkable is that for nearly 2,000 years, the Jewish people lived in exile without a homeland—and without a harvest to count. Still, generation after generation, they continued to count the Omer. Why? Because they held on to the promise. They faithfully marked time, counting a harvest that didn’t yet exist in the natural, believing that one day, God would fulfill His word and restore them to the land of their forefathers.
And then, against all odds, He did.
Roughly 130 years ago, a miracle began to unfold. The Lord started regathering His people back to the land of Israel. What was once a barren desert began to bloom. The barley harvest—and with it, the counting of the Omer—was restored. Today, just as in ancient times, Israel counts the Omer with an actual harvest in hand. What was once done in faith and hope is now done in fulfillment and joy.
This powerful example speaks volumes to us as believers in the Messiah. If the Jewish people could faithfully count a harvest that didn’t yet exist, how much more should we, who have the Spirit of God within us, learn to wait with expectation? The Omer reminds us that faith is “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1).
Are you praying for something that hasn’t yet come to pass? A healing? A restored relationship? Salvation for a loved one? Financial breakthrough? Don’t grow weary. Begin to thank God now for what you have not yet seen. Rejoice in advance. Praise Him in faith. Like those who counted the Omer in exile, we can count the days in expectation of a divine harvest that is already on its way.
Let this season leading to Shavuot (Pentecost)—this year on June 1st—be a time when you set your heart to trust in God’s promises. Expect a harvest of righteousness, breakthrough, and blessing. Begin today to give thanks for the miracles yet to come. They’re closer than you think. Truly the harvest is on the way.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy Devotions. This devotional was originally published on Worthy Devotions and was reproduced with permission.
More Devotions
So often when I’m counseling someone, he speaks of his life as a life of struggle and even defeat. But what is our true spiritual reality? The Bible describes the enemy as ALREADY defeated! We who are walking as pilgrims in this world, fighting on a daily basis, are fighting a defeated enemy. Let that sink in! He has already been defeated … even though throughout our entire lives we’re in combat with the enemy of our souls.
We’re living in some pretty wild times, aren’t we? Over the past few weeks, we’ve watched a political earthquake shake America, sending ripple effects all over the world. Some people see it as a positive change, others think it’s for the worse — but one thing is clear: we are in a season of shifting. And the big question is, will we take this opportunity to boldly stand for truth while the doors are open?
Thousands are gathering in Washington D.C. today to pray for the inauguration of the new president of the United States. I know a number of people who will be there and I think it’s a good thing, but this reminds me of a story I heard once.
Studying some remarkable events in the history of World War 2, we find the deliverance of the allied armies at Dunkirk; a true story of Divine providence in modern history. It was on May 10, 1940, that Hitler unleashed his armies against France and Belgium. Within days, the British army found itself outmaneuvered and unprepared for the German blitzkrieg assault led by General Rommel and his 7th Panzer division.
There was a man who had four sons, and he wanted them to understand the importance of not rushing to judgment. So, he sent each one on a journey to view a pear tree that was far away. He sent the first son in the winter, the second in the spring, the third in the summer, and the youngest in the fall. After they all returned, he gathered them together to hear what they had seen.
We arrived at the airport late Thursday night with our bags and our kiddos only to find out that our flight was canceled because of a freak accident — a tractor ran into the plane, of all things! So we repacked our ourselves tightly into a small rental car to make the two hour drive to get back home to Arad in the middle of the night. Our flight was postponed till Sunday.
One of my heroes of the faith, Watchman Nee, once said something profound about entering the rest of God. He said, “Carnal Christians crave works; yet amid many labors, they are unable to maintain calm in their spirit. They cannot fulfill God’s orders quietly as can the spiritual believers… their hearts are governed by outward matters. Being “distracted with much serving” (Luke 10:40) is the characteristic of the work of any soulish believer. They have not yet entered the rest of God.”