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
In a world wearied by the failures of men, Isaiah 9:6 offers a startling promise of hope and strength: “The government shall be upon His shoulder.” This is not the language of politics as we know it — it’s the language of divine dominion. The Hebrew word for “government” here is misrah (מִשְׂרָה), a word so unique it appears only in these two verses—Isaiah 9:6 and 9:7. Unlike more common Hebrew words for government — mamlachah or memshalah, misrah speaks of a rare and elevated rule—divinely ordained, gentle in character, and eternal in scope. This is a government not imposed, but carried. Not tyrannical, but righteous and restorative.
The prophet Isaiah begins with language so familiar that it’s often read too quickly. Yet within this brief phrase lies a depth of mystery and majesty that anchors the entire gospel. “For unto us a Child is born” speaks of an earthly event–Messiah’s humanity. He was born as all men are born, taking on flesh, entering a specific culture, time, and lineage. The Hebrew word for “born” (yalad) reinforces His full identification with us. This is the miracle of the incarnation: God wrapped in the vulnerability of a newborn child.
When the Lord called us to be His ambassadors, He didn’t merely give us a message — He gave us a lifestyle to embody it. An ambassador is not just a messenger, but a living representation of the Kingdom they serve. That means our behavior, words, and example all matter deeply.
As ambassadors of Christ, we don’t just represent His Kingdom–we reflect His heart. Paul’s words in Colossians 4:5-6 are not just good advice; they’re a commissioning. We are called to walk wisely among those who do not yet know Christ, recognizing that every interaction is a divine opportunity.
“All this is from God…” These words usher us into the breathtaking reality that salvation is not born of human effort, wisdom, or willpower — it is entirely the work of God. From beginning to end, it is His plan, His initiative, His unrelenting grace. Through Yeshua (Jesus), God stepped into our brokenness and reconciled us to Himself, repairing the relationship that sin had shattered. Reconciliation is not merely a theological concept — it is the restoration of intimacy with the Father. We did not ascend to Him in holiness; He descended to us in mercy. The Creator did not wait for us to find our way back. No, He came down in Yeshua, arms stretched wide in love, calling us home.
In the age of social media, where hot takes go viral, outrage spreads in seconds, and comment sections become battlegrounds, James offers a divine pattern that stands in stark contrast to the digital frenzy. His instruction is timeless but urgently needed today: be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger. These three commands — revolutionary yet straightforward — cut through the noise of our reaction-driven culture and call us to a Spirit-led posture in a screen-lit world.
In Matthew 21, Yeshua (Jesus) approached a fig tree full of leaves but found no fruit. He cursed it, and it withered. This dramatic act was not about the tree—it was about Israel. The fig tree had the appearance of life, but it lacked the substance of transformation. It was a warning to a nation full of religion but void of repentance. The tree became a symbol of spiritual barrenness, of form without fruit.