Shavuot 2021 is May 17 and starts at sundown the evening before.

When God called Israel out of Egypt to be a people unto Him, He commanded they observe annual “appointed times” before Him. Shavuot, or the Feast of Weeks, is one of them. It’s a commemoration of receiving, offering and thanksgiving.

The gift of bread

In ancient Israel, Shavuot was an agricultural feast. Every man physically able was to bring the first of his wheat crop to the Temple in Jerusalem as an offering to the Lord. It was an act of both thanksgiving for present provision and trust for the full harvest yet to come. At Shavuot, we thank the Lord for His provision of food to nourish our bodies and sustain our lives.

The gift of the Torah

Shavuot also commemorates the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai. The Israelites left Egypt on Passover and arrived at Mount Sinai just over seven weeks later. There, Adonai gave us His Law, the Torah. It is the collection of His commandments for how we are to live for Him and with Him as His people.

God’s Word, our bread

The word Torah means “instruction.” As such, we celebrate the whole of Scripture on Shavuot. It, too, gives us nourishment and sustains our spiritual lives. The Lord fed the Israelites with manna for 40 years in the wilderness. They complained about the lack of variety, but the Lord had a reason for it. He explained in Deuteronomy 8:3 that it was to show them that life is not merely about eating to stay alive, but that we should take in His every word as life-giving sustenance.

Jesus, hungry after 40 days of fasting, quoted this same verse to the devil when tempted to turn stones into bread (Matthew 4:4). Jesus told His disciples that the words He spoke to them are Spirit and life (John 6:33).

A prophecy within Shavuot

At Shavuot, we celebrate the gifts of God’s provision and His Word. Both are meant to sustain and feed us. Yet, this Feast of the Lord holds another gift as well. In it, God placed a prophetic picture of what He would bring to pass in fulfillment of what the prophets Joel and Jeremiah foretold.

The gift of the Spirit

Shavuot is also called the Feast of Weeks as God told Israel to determine its date by counting seven weeks from the Sabbath after Passover and then bring the first fruits wheat offering. Because this marks 50 days, Shavuot is also known as Pentecost, from the Greek word meaning 50. 

The New Testament event known to most Christians as Pentecost, the giving of the Holy Spirit to Believers that is recorded in Acts chapter 2, is Shavuot. Jewish travelers had flooded into Jerusalem on their pilgrimage to present their Shavuot offerings. The miracle of the Holy Spirit descended on the Believers there and caused them to speak in languages they didn’t previously know. Jewish pilgrims from every nation heard the wonders of God in their own language, and thousands came to faith in Jesus the Messiah on that very day.

Holy Spirit, breath of new life

While the Hebrew word for spirit is “ruach,” the Greek word is “pneuma,” which also means wind and breath.

Bread and breath

Shavuot joins two amazing gifts from God. The Lord gave us “bread” when He gave us the Torah, His instruction. It nourishes us with His words and is infused with His life. When He gave us His Spirit to live inside us, He gave us the “breath” of new life and placed His Law in our hearts in fulfillment of what He said He would do.

May your Shavuot be a celebration of God’s provision and these life-giving, life-sustaining gifts.

“With God we will do mighty things,
and He will trample our foes.”
Psalm 60:14 (TLV)

As Israel is commemorating both Yom HaZikaron (Memorial Day or Israel Fallen Soldier’s Remembrance Day) and Yom HaAtzmaut (Independence Day) this week, I am reminded of both the sacrifices made by so many and the miraculous victories God has brought to pass for Israel and her people.

I am also reminded of you and your great compassion and love for the Jewish people.  Thank you.

In the news this week, you will see Iran mentioned frequently as well as a story about Israel’s response to the International Criminal Court’s war crimes probe. We have also included a story about last week’s Holocaust Remembrance Day observation.

As is often the case, there are many reasons to rejoice and reasons to pray. Again, thank you for your partnership.

During Visit From U.S. Defense Secretary, Netanyahu Speaks Out About Israel’s Need to Defend Itself Against Iran

On Monday, while hosting U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin at his office in Jerusalem, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel and the U.S. agreed on never allowing Iran to obtain nuclear weapons.

“As you know, the U.S.-Israel defense partnership has continually expanded over successive administrations and our cooperation is crucial in dealing with the many threats confronting both the United States and Israel,” Netanyahu said during a press conference with Austin, The Times of Israel reported.

“In the Middle East, there is no threat more dangerous, serious and pressing than that posed by the fanatical regime in Iran,” said Netanyahu, citing Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons, arming of terror groups and calls for Israel’s complete destruction.

“Mr. Secretary, we both know the horrors of war. We both understand the importance of preventing war. And we both agree that Iran must never possess nuclear weapons,” said Netanyahu. “My policy as prime minister of Israel is clear – I will never allow Iran to obtain the nuclear capability to carry out its genocidal goal of eliminating Israel.”

Speaking days after an apparent attack on the Natanz nuclear facility in Iran, which Tehran has blamed on Israel, Netanyahu said that “Israel will continue to defend itself against Iran’s aggression and terrorism.”

U.S. Defense Secretary Expresses Desire to Work With Israel to “Address Shared Challenges in the Region”

Austin, who spoke after Netanyahu, refrained from explicitly mentioning Iran but said he traveled to Israel to “express our desire for earnest consultations with Israel, as we address shared challenges in the region.”

Austin’s two-day visit is the first official visit to Israel by an American secretary of defense since 2017. He is the first member of U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration to pay an official visit to Israel.

While affirming the Biden administration’s support for Israel’s security and qualitative military edge in the region, Austin said he and Netanyahu discussed “ways to deepen our longstanding defense relationship in the face of regional threats and other security challenges, and I affirm the department’s support for our ongoing diplomatic efforts to normalize relations between Israel and Arab and Muslim-majority nations.”

Israel Submits Formal Response to ICC’s War Crimes Probe

Last Friday, Israel sent a formal response to the International Criminal Court’s (ICC’s) decision to probe alleged war crimes by Israel. The response stated that the ICC doesn’t have jurisdiction to investigate it.

“In the letter, it will also be noted that Israel completely rejects the claims that it is carrying out war crimes,” a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office said, according to The Times of Israel.

The Prime Minister’s Office said Israel’s stance has been made known to the court by “central countries and world-renowned experts” and emphasized that Israel is “committed to the rule of law” and capable of investigating itself.

The decision on how to respond came after two days of talks held by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Benny Gantz, Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi, IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kohavi, Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit and other top officials.

“I am sure many countries will understand that there is no room for [such an] investigation, that could harm many other countries in the future,” Gantz said, adding that such an ICC investigation would harm Israel’s relations with the Palestinians and make it difficult to “improve the regional situation.”

Last month, the ICC sent formal notices to Israel and the Palestinian Authority about the impending investigation. The notices stated that they had a few weeks to seek a deferral by proving they are carrying out their own investigations. The deadline to respond was April 9.

ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda announced on March 3 that she was opening an investigation into actions committed by Israel and the Palestinians in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem since 2014. The announcement of the investigation came less than a month after the court ruled it had the jurisdiction to open a probe.

Israel Comes to a Standstill In Remembrance of Holocaust Victims

Last Thursday at 10 a.m. sirens halted Israeli outdoor life in memory of the six million Jews murdered by the Nazis during World War II. Pedestrians stood in place, buses stopped and cars pulled over, their drivers standing on the roads with their heads bowed.

The annual Holocaust Remembrance Day is one of the most solemn days on Israel’s national calendar. The main opening ceremony on Wednesday night was attended by Holocaust survivors, President Reuven Rivlin, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other dignitaries, The Times of Israel reported.

In his speech, Rivlin spoke of the 900 Holocaust survivors who died over the past year due to COVID-19.

“They survived the ghettoes and the death camps, the immigrant ships and the internment camps,” he said. “But the final battle of their lives was fought with them bewildered and isolated, behind masks and gloves, yearning for contact but parted from their loved ones.”

The ongoing plight of Holocaust survivors was in the news early last week when a survey conducted by the Holocaust Survivors’ Welfare Fund found that 51 percent of respondents said they relied on food provided by a variety of charities, one third said they were in dire need of the assistance.

According to the poll, many Holocaust survivors say they have no choice but to give up essentials in order to have enough money for food. Forty-three percent of respondents said they didn’t have enough money for eyeglasses, 33% said they couldn’t afford dental care and 27% said they couldn’t pay for hearing aids.

To help meet this critical need, Jewish Voice supports ministries in Israel dedicated to providing Holocaust Survivors with dental and eye care, as well as other important necessities. When you give to Jewish Voice, this is one of the many ways you help Jewish people around the world.

According to the Central Bureau of Statistics, at the end of 2020, there were 179,600 people defined as Holocaust survivors living in Israel. An additional 3,000 people were recognized as survivors in 2020, while 17,000 died, including the 900 virus victims.

Let Us Pray Together

Please pray with me for:

• A peaceful God-inspired solution for Israel’s government following the country’s fourth inconclusive election in the past two years
• The needs to be met for Holocaust survivors who struggle with basic necessities like food and healthcare – and that Jewish Voice can continue to help meet these needs
• Jewish people to recognize Yeshua (Jesus) as their Messiah

What an amazing time we live in. As dark as some aspects are, the Lord continues to map a way through this new territory we all navigate. This is especially true for our Global Outreach Team, who are our boots on the ground working to see Jewish people not only receive care and blessing, but most, and best of all, come to know Yeshua (Jesus).

We have wholeheartedly sought the Lord in this season, and He is answering with new strategies for ministry. As we follow His Spirit, He is helping us be agile and adaptable as we travel a path we’ve not known before. Our Outreach to Zimbabwe, starting now, is a great example

Because the current need in Zimbabwe is so great and so urgent, we are going immediately to provide humanitarian aid and share the Good News. We’re sending only one U.S. team member, who will partner with local staff and congregational leaders to serve as many Zimbabweans as possible in over a half-dozen different locations.

Please! Sign up quickly to cover this Outreach in prayer!

Our urgent response has left little time to solicit the prayer covering we know we need.

Please sign up here.

Below is a daily prayer guide of some areas that need focused prayer. Thank you for making a real impact in Zimbabwe by partnering with us in this way.

THURSDAY, APRIL 15 – Travels, Protection, Health • Psalm 91

• Safe travel for our Director of Global Outreach, journeying alone to Zimbabwe
• Safety for our local Zimbabwean team members and congregational leaders, who are traveling with him to specific communities
• Protection of all kinds, including from COVID-19 and any other incidents or maladies

FRIDAY, APRIL 16 – Supplies and Transport • Deuteronomy 28:8  

• Safe and timely transport of all the humanitarian supplies we’re distributing in each of the various locations
• Favor at all checkpoints
• Ongoing solid relationships with the vendors supplying these much-needed goods

SATURDAY, APRIL 17 – Open Doors into and through Zimbabwe • Psalm 121:7–8

• Safety on the road and journeying mercies
• God's guidance and timing for each leg of the travel from location to location
• Favor from all authorities and in every community

SUNDAY, APRIL 18 – Spiritual Preparation and Openness • Deuteronomy 1:30

• The Lord to prepare the way by softening hearts to eagerly receive not only humanitarian resources but Yeshua
• Spiritual forces opposing the Good News and love of Jesus to be bound off from all aspects of the Outreach and each location
• Communities and their leaders to see the heart of God in this endeavor and welcome Him into their communities and their own lives

MONDAY, APRIL 19 – Kingdom Relationships and the Excellency of Love • 1 Corinthians 16:14

• Special wisdom and grace for our Global Outreach Director working and ministering alongside beloved Zimbabwe brothers and sisters
• Strengthening of relationships between our local JVMI team members and the congregational leaders we’re partnering with there, as well as strong new relationships with other in-country partners and suppliers
• All things to be done with love, which is the more excellent way

TUESDAY, APRIL 20 – Local Leaders and Congregations • Ephesians 1:15–17

• Local congregation members to be excited not only acquire aid themselves but to bring an unsaved neighbor to receive provision and hear the Good News
• The Lord to draw recipients of these distributions to salvation and to start attending the local congregation
• Leaders and emerging leaders to grow in their capacity to minister to individuals and their community as a whole

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 21 – Urgency to Reach as Many as Possible • Ephesians 5:16             

• A sense of urgency and the ability to reach as many people as is possible, by God's grace
• Team members and local partners to realize that we trust and obey, but it is the Lord who truly meets the needs
• Us to release this Outreach to the Lord, but with holy boldness to do all within our ability to share the Good News with everyone we can

THURSDAY, APRIL 22 – Needs Met • Matthew 6:26

• The humanitarian aid we’re providing to be a very real blessing to as many people and families as possible during this time of great crises and lack
• LifeStraws® to change lives and prevent disease
• Love and provisions to prepare the way for many to receive the Good News, meeting the greatest need of all – for Yeshua!

FRIDAY, APRIL 23 – Outcomes • Acts 2:46–47

• A positive impact and practical help to be experienced in each location
• A mighty move of the Holy Spirit in each area but also throughout Zimbabwe
• Our congregational partners to be encouraged by this initiative and prepared to receive from the Lord through our Congregational and Leadership Development team, who will visit them a few weeks later

SATURDAY, APRIL 24 – Zimbabwe • Jeremiah 33:3

• The Lord to hear the cries of His people for themselves, their neighbors and their nation, especially the prayers of the Lemba Believers who carry a priestly, intercessory mantle passed down through many generations
• God to turn the hearts of the nation's leaders to Him and to their own people so their land can be blessed to be a blessing once again
• For the Body in Zimbabwe to come together as never before in worship, prayer, unity and brotherly love as they reach out and minister to their fellow Zimbabweans

SUNDAY, APRIL 25 – Ongoing Ministry and Blessing • Psalm 32:8

• Discernment from the Lord regarding how, when and where He might be calling us to minister next in Zimbabwe
• Provision and favor to meet even more needs next time
• The Holy Spirit’s power to work in congregational leaders’ lives – as well as those they lead and the communities to which they are called – as they fulfill the purposes of God in their nation and generation

Let’s Pray:

Lord, please bless our dear partners who are answering Your call to pray that Jewish people and their neighbors in Zimbabwe will receive care and the Good News. May those in Zimbabwe who we minister to receive Living Water and the Bread of Life – Jesus – as they receive LifeStraws® and other provisions. May Your kingdom come to reign and rule in their hearts, families and communities. We are believing You for revival in Zimbabwe. Lord, hear our prayers. In Yeshua’s name, AMEN.

“But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever,
the purposes of His heart through all generations.”
Psalm 33:11 (NIV)

Thank you for standing with Israel and for your love and support for the Jewish people. Your partnership means a great deal to me and to the ministry of Jewish Voice.

We also want to offer my encouragement with the words from Psalm 33 above – no matter what is happening in Israel, in our country and around the world, we can be confident in the plans of our God. He is in control from generation to generation and He is worthy of our trust and love!

In Israel this week, the outcome of the election continues to dominate the news as leaders meet to try to create a workable government and avoid yet another election.

You’ll also find news about a new super-fast COVID-19 test developed by an Israeli company, confirmation from the U.S. regarding Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, and Iran continuing to violate the UN nuclear agreement. There is also a story about one Palestinian’s shocking experience after participating in a conference call with Israelis.

Again, thank you for your interest and for your prayers and support.

Netanyahu Secures Most Recommendations but Still Lacks Clear Path to Assemble a Coalition

On Monday, three parties (New Hope, Joint List and Ra’am) refrained from endorsing any candidate for prime minister. This ensures that Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu would have the most recommendations to form a government.

But to assemble a coalition, 61 seats are needed for a majority. After President Reuven Rivlin’s meetings with the 13 factions in the new Knesset (legislature) meant to determine who to task with forming a government, 52 members of the Knesset recommended Netanyahu, 45 recommended Lapid. Yamina recommended its leader, Naftali Bennett, and three parties recommended no one, The Jerusalem Post reported.

So Netanyahu still lacks a clear path to assembling a coalition, but his rivals also did not appear to have many options for clinching a government.

“… Democracy Has Exhausted Itself.”

As he began the meetings, Rivlin lamented that “at the moment, I can’t see a way to form a coalition.”

He also said if his first choice to form a government fails, he may kick the mandate back to the Knesset to make a choice, rather than giving a second person a chance to do so first, according to The Times of Israel.

The president added that “after four election campaigns, democracy has exhausted itself.”

The outcome of Monday’s discussions is up in the air. Neither the pro-Netanyahu bloc of parties nor the anti-Netanyahu camp has a clear path to a majority following the March 23 vote, which was Israel’s fourth inconclusive election in two years.

Super-Speedy Israeli COVID-19 Test Granted European Approval, Could Help Boost International Travel

Last week, an Israeli company said it received European approval for its rapid coronavirus test and was ready to help kickstart international travel.

Their test uses a handheld SpectraLIT machine which eliminates the need for complex lab equipment. It shines light through samples and gives immediate results using the spectral signature (matter reflects different light signatures, depending on its composition).

This means that airport staff who currently are required to collect test samples and send them to labs will simply have a machine at hand and be able to give test results for travelers after just 20 seconds of analysis.

The system, which is being piloted at 36 hospitals around the world, received European Medical Devices Directive approval for a swab version of its test, which allows it to start rollout across the European Union.

“Despite the global rollout of vaccination efforts, COVID-19 still needs rapid diagnostic solutions to take steps back to normality, including international travel, and this represents an important milestone,” Eyal Zimlichman, a senior doctor at Sheba Medical Center who helped develop the technology, told The Times of Israel.

The test was developed by Newsight together with Sheba Medical Center under the newly formed Virusight Diagnostic.

UN’s Nuclear Watchdog Says Iran Is Enriching Uranium

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the United Nation’s atomic watchdog, has determined that Iran is now enriching uranium with a fourth cascade of advanced IR-2m centrifuges at its underground nuclear facility in Natanz, according to a report late last week.

“On 31 March 2021, the Agency verified at [the Fuel Enrichment Plant] that: Iran had begun feeding natural UF6 into a fourth cascade of 174 IR-2m centrifuges,” a report by IAEA cited by Reuters said. UF6 is uranium hexafluoride, which is fed into centrifuges for enrichment.

This move by Iran is the latest bold violation of the nuclear deal. The goal appears to be to pressure the Biden administration as Iran and the U.S. are at a standoff over who should make the first move to salvage the 2015 nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

The Biden administration has repeatedly said it will return to the nuclear deal if Iran first returns to compliance, while the Islamic Republic is demanding that the U.S. lift sanctions before it returns to the deal, The Times of Israel reported.

The intent of the JCPOA is to curb Iran’s ability to develop a nuclear bomb. The country started violating the agreement in 2019 in response to a U.S. withdrawal from the deal under the Trump administration and a reimposition of U.S. sanctions against Iran in 2018.

US Report Reaffirms Jerusalem As Israel’s Capital

The U.S. recently released its latest Country Reports on Human Rights Practices. This annual report is the first one authored by the Biden administration and it affirmed that Jerusalem was the capital of Israel.

But it also reintroduced language that spoke of Israeli occupation of territory, a two state solution for peace and gave a nod in the direction of Palestinian Authority rights to sections of Jerusalem.

The report looked at human rights issues in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza as part of its global analysis on nearly 200 nations.

Both the Biden and Trump administrations clarified that the U.S. has recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital since 2017. Neither report clarifies the boundaries of Israeli sovereignty in Jerusalem, but both state that the boundaries are subject to negotiations, according to The Jerusalem Post.

Both reports also affirm Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, which the U.S. recognized in 2019.

Let Us Pray Together

Please pray with me for:

• A peaceful God-inspired solution for Israel’s government following the country’s fourth inconclusive election in the past two years
• Continued support for Israel from the U.S. and wisdom for the U.S. in dealing with Iran and the JCPOA nuclear agreement
• Jewish people to recognize Yeshua (Jesus) as their Messiah

The United States has an established history of standing with Israel. Since President Truman supported the founding of the State of Israel in 1948, the U.S. has been a staunch ally of the Jewish State.

One of the biggest moments in recent memory happened three years ago. On May 14, 2018, in honor of Israel’s 70th anniversary, the new U.S. Embassy opened in Jerusalem. This was after spending decades in its temporary home in Tel Aviv. I’m so thankful that even in the midst of the sweeping changes the new administration is making, they have recently affirmed that the U.S. Embassy will remain in Jerusalem.

America’s continued recognition of Jerusalem as the de facto capital of the Jewish State is a powerful statement to the world of Israel’s right to exist.

It’s so important for us to continue this strong stance because Israel still has many enemies fighting against her. Some are more subtle – like countries within the United Nations which cast Israel as an aggressor against Palestinians. Some are far from subtle – like Iran, Hezbollah and Hamas – who openly call for Israel’s destruction. In fact, as I write this, Iran may be closer to developing a nuclear weapon than ever before. And, unfortunately, anti-Semitism is an ongoing battle for Jewish people no matter where they live.

It is critical for you and me to stand with Israel and the Jewish people.

In doing so, we are part of God’s historic and prophetic plan. The embassy move aligns with this plan to restore Israel with Jerusalem as her capital. It is part of a chain of events leading up to the return of Jesus!

And you and I can be part of more prophecies being fulfilled by declaring your support for Israel and her people right now. A key way you can do this is by sending a gift to support the work of Jewish Voice in Israel.

Our ministry to Jewish people in Israel has always been important, but the coronavirus pandemic and the economic shutdowns hit the country especially hard. So many who were just barely getting by – from Holocaust survivors to recent immigrants to single moms – found themselves in great need for even basic supplies like groceries.

Your support means we are able to step in and help meet these needs while sharing the Gospel. We want each person to come to know the love and hope of their Messiah, Jesus!

As my way of saying thank you for your gift of any amount, I would like to send you our “I Stand with Israel” Car Magnet.

I hope to hear from you soon. The only way this life-changing ministry can continue and prosper is with your support. Thank you.

“Adonai is my strength and my song, and He has become my salvation. This is my God, and I will glorify Him, my father’s God, and I will exalt Him” (Exodus 15:2). 

The word glorify has several related meanings. One indicates that when we glorify God, we worship or praise Him. Another meaning is to reveal God as glorious. Yet another definition of glorifying is to light up or shine.  

When the Lord called His people out of Egypt to be His own, He called us out of slavery to a new, free life. He also called us out to glorify Him. 

In the wilderness, God instructed the Israelites to build the tabernacle where His glory would reside. He chose to make His home with His people, so we would know Him and know that He is our God. It required gold and silver and fine linens, outstanding and beautiful things that would reflect the glorious nature of God. When His glory filled the Tent of Meeting, all Israel stood and worshipped Him.  

Centuries before the Exodus, God told Abraham, the father of the Jewish nation, that he would make his descendants a blessing to the whole world. All were created to give God glory and praise Him – but Scripture tells us particularly the Jewish people. In the book of Isaiah, He says that He formed Israel to proclaim His praise. Psalm 29 instructs us to bow down to His beauty and ascribe to Him the glory He is due.  

New Testament writers all exhort Believers to glorify God alongside of Israel. We’re called to glorify Him with our bodies and with our lives so that others can see God through us. Paul made a profoundly motivating statement about how people responded to his life and testimony when he revealed to the Galatians, “And they praised God because of me.”    

Passover reminds us that God has called us out not only to worship Him but to be a light to the whole world. And isn’t that the kind of life we want as Believers? One that gives Him His proper praise and reveals His goodness and majesty? One that points the people around us to Him? 

“In the same way, let your light shine before men so they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16) 

Scriptures 

Exodus 8:1, Exodus 29:44–46, Exodus 40:34, Exodus 33:10, Isaiah 43:21, Psalm 29:2, 1 Corinthians 6:20, 1 Peter 2:12, Galatians 1:21–24 

Reflection Questions: 

• What are some of the ways you glorify God? How does He shine through you? 

• God has created each of us uniquely. We have different gifts, talents and skills. What are some of yours, and do you think God is glorified when you use them? 

• Who in your life needs to see God more clearly? How can you shine the light on Him to give them hope? 

“So I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, to bring them up out of that land into a good and large land, a land flowing with milk and honey”
(Exodus 3:8). 

Passover is a wonderful time of remembrance when we reflect on & how God delivered and provided for His Chosen People. For 40 years, He sustained our ancestors in the wilderness. In a desolate land, He provided manna for food and water from rocks. Through all that time, the clothing of the Israelites never wore out.

He had promised to give His people a new home, a Land of our own. It was a spacious and good land, fertile and abundant. The Israelites were free, and we were on our way to a new life in the Land God had already allocated to us. 

As Believers, we’ve been given a new life as well. When we received Jesus, God’s Word says we actually became new creatures, and our old life has passed away. And it’s not only new life but abundant life flowing with living water. We are no longer slaves, and Jesus has removed from our backs the burden of our sin.

Remembering the Israelites’ journey in the wilderness, we realize that they didn’t always trust that God’s Word was true. As a result, the whole generation that came out of Egypt – all except Joshua and Caleb – missed out on the Promised Land. 

We, too, can miss enjoying our new life in Messiah when we seek after other things, choose our own way or let fear overtake us. Let’s press on, as Paul urges us, to lay hold of what God has offered us. As we trust in God, we’ll be like a tree planted by a river, with roots consistently absorbing the living water no matter the season.  

“For He satisfies the thirsty soul and fills the hungry soul with goodness” (Psalm 107:9). 

Scriptures 

Exodus 16:15, Numbers 20:8, Deuteronomy 29:4, 1 Corinthians 5:17, John 10:10, John 7:38, John 4:14, Isaiah 53:11, Numbers 14:28–30, Philippians 3:14, Jeremiah 17:7–8 

Reflection Questions 

• What “good land” has God given to us through the gift of Jesus and the Holy Spirit? What is the “abundant life” Jesus talked about?  

• If He has already given it to us, why don’t we continually experience it?  

• What can you do to help yourself more consistently recognize and live in the life God has given you as you engage in your daily life?