Jesus said, “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:28–33). He declared this is the second greatest commandment of all. Did you know that when Jesus gave this commandment, He quoted a verse from the Hebrew Scriptures, the Old Testament? The Lord spoke these words to the Israelites in Leviticus 19:18 as He conveyed His Law through Moses. (See also Deuteronomy 6:4–5.)

Much of the world seems to have abandoned this fundamental law of sharing life on the same planet. With all the ugly antisemitism going on today, we thought it was time to emphasize that Jewish people are our neighbors, too. That’s why we’ve partnered with a campaign called Love Your Jewish Neighbor, which is airing a 30-second video you might see on your local TV station during December and can watch on YouTube.  It’s a new movement seeking to actively speak out in support of Jewish people and against antisemitism.

The Inspiration

A historical photograph inspired the video. The photo was taken during Chanukah 1931 in the home of Rabbi Akiva and Rachel Posner, who lived in Kiel, Germany. On the eighth night of Chanukah, Rachel photographed the family chanukiah (Chanukah menorah) sitting on a table in front of their living room window. Through the open curtains, you see a large Nazi flag hanging from the building across the street.

Chanukah tradition calls for placing our chanukiahs in a prominent window so that all who pass by can see its light. Prejudices against Jewish people were on the rise. Under those circumstances, it took courage for Rachel Posner and her family to place their Chanukah menorah in their front window.

Courage Today

Today, the number and flagrancy of antisemitic acts are rising at an appalling rate. In some communities, Jewish people are forced to weigh the risks of wearing their Stars of David, kippahs (yarmulkes) or other identifiably Jewish articles. This year, placing a Chanukah menorah in their window may require courage that most have not needed to employ before. It’s a harsh truth – far too reminiscent of the years leading to the Holocaust – that many Jewish people don’t feel safe today publicly showing their Jewish identity.

Love Your Jewish Neighbor

The Love Your Jewish Neighbor movement calls upon the heart of human kindness to take action, encouraging non-Jewish people to reach out with love and support of the Jewish people in their communities. It reflects back to days that we must never see repeated and communicates that everyone has a part to play in fighting antisemitism.

Chanukah and Christmas

One way to help combat antisemitism is by getting to know Jewish people and gaining a deeper understanding of the customs and traditions of their faith. It’s among the reasons we love providing resources to you. Another reason is that there is so much to be gained as a Believer in Jesus by understanding and embracing these “Jewish roots” of faith in Jesus.

This year provides a unique opportunity as Chanukah and Christmas coincide on the calendar. The 8 nights of Chanukah begin on Christmas night and end on New Year’s night.  What a fitting occasion to reach out with love and support of the Jewish people in your community, to let them know you stand with them against antisemitism.

To learn more about Chanukah, visit our website. For an eight-day Chanukah devotional that will help you see the connection between Chanukah and your faith, see our Chanukah reading plan here.

The Video

You don’t have to wait to catch the Love Your Jewish Neighbor video on connected TV channels. You can watch it right here. You can also play an active part in spreading the word to stand against antisemitism by passing the video on.

Biblical Prayers for Your Government and Leaders  Regardless of Country or Timeframe

You’re receiving this edition of Prayer Points the day after November 5’s election in the United States, but it was written before the election. That’s because there are truths we can stand on and pray for, no matter the results. We hope the points below encourage and fuel your prayers regardless of who is placed in office.

Even though the U.S. elections and government may be at the forefront of many of our minds and prayers, the truths and prayers below also apply to other nations and times. Here at Jewish Voice Ministries, we don’t just do Outreaches in other countries; we truly seek the Lord for His blessings on the places we go. Praying for good government in those nations is an important part of that mandate.

Please pray with us for Israel, the United States, and other nations and their leaders. He who watches over Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps, and He is watching over the nations and each of us as well (Psalm 121:4).

• Lord, we start our prayers by asking for peace in Your city, Jerusalem, and all Israel (Psalm 122:6)
• We also seek You for the city and nation that each one of us lives in, that all will go well with us, and we may prosper (Jeremiah 29:7)
• You promise to hear our cries when we humble ourselves, seek Your face, and turn from our wicked ways. Lord, hear us from heaven, forgive our sin, and heal our land, in whatever nation we live (2 Chron 7:14; Job 12:23–24)
• Help us trust that You are in control and on the throne, and You are the one who puts places and also removes leaders (Romans 13:1)
• Bless our nations and give us leaders who will bless Israel
  (Psalm 33:12; Genesis 12:3)
• Regardless of who is in office — our national and local offices and in other nations — help us be diligent to pray for them as You tell us to (1 Timothy 2:1–2)
• May we see direct answers to our prayers in that citizens can live in peace and the Gospel can be heard and received
  (1 Timothy 2–4)
• We especially pray that You would bring our leaders themselves to a saving knowledge of who You are (1 Timothy 2:4)
• Lord, give us leaders who fear You, seek Your wisdom and commit their ways to You on behalf of those they govern (Proverbs 9:10, 16: 3, Psalm 37:5)
• Like David, may You give us leaders who will lead with integrity of heart and skillfulness of hands (Psalm 78:72)
• Give them a biblical worldview that shapes what they do and how they do it (Romans 12:2, Colossians 12:8)
• If our leaders hold any viewpoints, methods, alliances or convictions that do not align with You, You are able to change their hearts and minds, and we ask that You have mercy on them and do so (Proverbs 21:1)
• May we as Believers stand firm in Your truth, resist the devil’s schemes, pray consistently, and be faithful to share the Good News with others (Ephesians 6:10–18)

Let’s Pray

Lord, we commit our nation and leaders to You. We acknowledge that in addition to the right to vote for our leaders, we have the responsibility to make daily choices for ourselves regarding how we live and follow You personally. May we commit to doing so diligently, knowing that our ability to love and serve You and others does not lie in our leaders' hands but in our own convictions and willingness. You are worthy of all our allegiance and praise! In Jesus’ name, AMEN.

There’s no doubt that God places a high priority on our gratitude. The Bible instructs us dozens of times to be thankful.* And studies show that gratitude positively influences our happiness and health. Judaism has a slightly different approach to thanking God. Instead of simply saying “Thank You, God, for __________,” Jewish tradition “blesses” God for His gifts to us.

What Does It Mean to Bless God?

When we hear the word blessing, we recognize that someone is the blesser — the giver of blessings — and someone is the receiver. We pray for and thank God for His blessings on us, or we bless others by giving them gifts to meet their needs. Dictionary definitions of “bless” can be summarized as asking God’s care for, speaking well of and bestowing prosperity on someone. An older usage of the word also included the idea of protection. How, then, do we “bless” God, the Creator of the universe who owns everything and needs nothing (Psalm 50:10–12, Acts 17:24–25)? What does it mean to bless God?**

Psalm 28:6 in the New King James Version says, “Blessed be the Lord because He has heard the voice of my supplications!” The Hebrew word used here is barak, the primitive root of which means “to kneel.” To bless, by implication, means to kneel as an act of adoration before the blessed one. It means to honor. When we bless God, we honor and worship Him.

Jewish Blessings

The Jewish custom of gratitude is to say blessings (berachot), each typically beginning the same way: “Blessed are You, O Lord our God, King of the universe, for….” Berachot fall into three categories — blessings for enjoyment, fulfilling commandments, and various experiences. For instance, the Shehecheyanu Prayer is a blessing said when experiencing something for the first time in the year. “Firsts” include performing Jewish rituals and eating a fruit for the first time that year. Some people also say it when experiencing personal firsts.

Shehecheyanu

Barukah atah Adonai Eloheynu Melech ha’olam

Shehecheyanu v’keyamnu v’higiyanu lazman hazeh

Blessed are You Lord our God, King of the universe

Who has given us life, sustained us and brought us to this moment.

Jewish people also have a blessing to say when experiencing the wonders of nature.

Oseh Ma’ash B’reisheet

Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu melech haolam,

oseh ma’ash b’reisheet.

Blessed are You Lord our God, King of the universe

who forms the works of creation.

Judaism has blessings for all kinds of things. There are morning, evening and bedtime blessings; blessings said before and after eating; blessings said when putting on a tallit (a Jewish prayer shawl) and upon receiving good news; and so many more.

A Different Approach to Thankfulness

What’s the difference between thanking and blessing God for a gift He has bestowed on us? Both express gratitude. Both are said with a particular gift in mind. One, however, shifts the focus from the gift and recipient to the Giver. The Jewish tradition of blessing God goes beyond giving thanks for the gift. It extends to worshiping God. Blessing God kneels in adoration before Him for His power, His majesty, sovereignty and benevolent favor to give anything to us. It honors Him as Creator, Sustainer and Giver of All Good Things. The Jewish blessing has a way of reminding us that we don’t merit any of the gifts God gives us, but by His generosity and love, the God of the Universe gives.

The Jewish custom of saying specific blessings for a wide variety of events serves to enlarge our gratitude and increase our worship. Why not consider adding a fresh component to your expressions of gratitude by blessing God? You could start with either one of the blessings included here. Or, you could put them in your own words, blessing and worshipping God as big enough and loving enough to give the gift you see before you. While you’re at it, you can bless Him for what the Jewish blessing tradition adds to our relationships with Him.

* Be-Thankful Verses: Colossians 3:15, Hebrews 12:28, 1 Thessalonians 5:18, Ephesians 5:18–20

** Bless-the-Lord Verses: Deuteronomy 8:10, 1 Chronicles 29:20, Psalm 26:12, Psalm 103:1

Daily Victory, New Faith, and Bright Smiles
Chiwena, Zambia, 2024 Medical Outreach Recap

• 8,560 Patients Received Care
• 645 People Received Dental Care
• 2,119 Eyeglasses Distributed
• 183 Families Received LifeStraw® Water Filters
• 637  Children Attended the Zehra Kids Program
• 474  Children Experienced Zehra in Their School
• 3,703 People Heard the Gospel
• 645 People Received Yeshua 
• 347  People Requested Congregational Follow-up

You almost can’t imagine the bustle of a Jewish Voice Medical Outreach. Many thousands of people flow through the Clinic campus in just five days. Doctors and other medical professionals work tirelessly to provide quality care for as many people as possible each day. There is so much need, and they don’t want to leave anyone without the care they came for.

Typically, there are more people in line than we can treat each day. Some patients who couldn’t get into the Clinic by day’s end decide to stay right where they are and camp for the night to keep their places in line for the next day. At the end of the first Clinic day, however, when the dedicated medical professionals working at our Chiwena, Zambia, Medical Outreach looked up from seeing their last patients, they learned they’d attended to every last person who had come to us that day.

This remarkable victory occurred every single day of the Chiwena Outreach. More than 8,500 people in Chiwena received medical care they otherwise would not have. No one left this Clinic without receiving the care they came for. Your financial support sent us to Chiwena and enabled us to provide this care. You helped us every day to leave no one behind. Thank you!

A Healed Hand & A Smile

One day, our staff member Micheal saw a woman leaving the Clinic and noticed a large growth on her hand. With our Outreach medical director translating for him, Micheal asked her if she had been to the Clinic to see about this growth. “No,” she answered, “I saw a dentist today.” She’d had the growth so long that she considered other matters more important. 

Typically, our Clinics are organized so that patients receive care for one thing at a time. Another field of care would require another visit. But Micheal felt the prompting of the Lord and asked the doctor if he could remove this for the woman. “Yes, it looks to be a simple operation,” the local physician answered. 

They took the woman to the minor surgery department, and within minutes, the growth was gone, replaced by a fresh bandage on her hand and a new smile on her face. Did you know that you helped put this smile on her face?

Sharing the Good News in Chiwena

Chiwena was our third Outreach to the Lemba and their neighbors in Zambia. The people were incredibly receptive to the Gospel. More than 3,700 people heard the Good News, and 645 professed new faith in Yeshua (Jesus) as the Messiah. An additional 347 left their contact information for someone to follow up with them. This means even more opportunities for the Gospel as, typically, a home visit includes the privilege of sharing with a whole family. Through your support, you enable our indigenous partner congregations to make these visits as well as plant congregations where new Believers can grow in their relationships with the Lord.

Thank you so much for your support. It truly makes a huge difference. Here’s a glance at how many lives you helped change in Chiwena, Zambia.

Did you know that most of the time, when Jewish Voice goes to Outreach locations, WE are the partners? WE are the ones partnering with indigenous congregations and leaders to reach out and bless their own people. We lend leadership, resources, manpower and strategies, but it is their work that we help launch, and they will ultimately be the ones to grow and sustain the fruit from the Outreaches.

For our next Outreach in southern Ethiopia, we will partner with a new congregational network with a heart for those in their own region to hear the Good News of Yeshua (Jesus) and receive humanitarian care. We are excited about this new opportunity to partner with them and are asking for your focused prayer covering.

Also, this Outreach takes place during Sukkot, which is called the “season of our joy.” May joy truly mark every aspect of it!

Your prayers are critical for this new relationship in a new location and so that the Good News will have a life-changing impact. Here’s how you can make a difference as you pray:

• Follow along day by day using these detailed Prayer Points, covering the before, during and after of the Outreach week

• Would you also please commit to a specific time slot to pray for us from home during the Outreach? SIGN UP HERE on our Prayer Schedule, referring to the dates below.

Please pray for our October southern Ethiopia Outreach.

Before the Outreach

A voice of one calling: “In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.”

— Isaiah 40:3

Wednesday, October 9 – Friday, October 18

• All preparations such as VISAS, medical supplies, site readiness, team unity and community relationships to be fully in place in good time
• Protection, health, safety and favor as our team prepares, travels, and ministers
• Spiritual forces of darkness to flee, making way for the King of Glory to bring salvation, healing and deliverance as the spiritual atmosphere and the hearts of the people are prepared

During the Outreach

“The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because He has anointed Me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free,”

— Luke 4:18

“Comfort, comfort My people,” says your God.

— Isaiah 40:1

Saturday, October 19

• Completion of the Outreach site set-up
• Good rest in preparation for a week of ministry
• An excellent relationship unity and good communication between our Global Outreach team and the indigenous congregational teams we’re partnering with

Sunday, October 20

• A strategic and efficient plan to move patients through the Clinic site and shalom in the lines
• The hiring of local workers who will serve whole-heartedly and align with the ministry that will take place during the Clinic
• A smooth opening of the Clinic itself on Sunday morning

Monday, October 21

• The community to be excited and open to our presence and large numbers of people to come right from the start
• Favor from local officials and community members. May they and their families receive care and ministry
• The Spiritual Care Ministry to operate in the power of the Holy Spirit with no obstacles of any kind

Tuesday, October 22

• Safety and protection in all forms
• The Living Waters teams as they distribute LifeStraws® and Good News
• The Lord to move powerfully through the Gospel and ministry of the Holy Spirit

Wednesday, October 23

• Effective medical and dental care and healing to take place, including supernaturally as a testimony of God’s power and love
• The Lord to give wisdom, favor, discernment and protection concerning any local or unique factors regarding this location, conditions or timeframe
• Spiritual strength and stamina for all, which is renewed by intimacy with the Lord, fellowship with each other, and joy as we celebrate Sukkot

Thursday, October 24

• An energetic and successful last Clinic-day
• May we be able to care for everyone the Lord brings to us, and may He even minister in the lines to those who come
• The fragrance of Jesus, the joy of the Lord, and the coming of His Kingdom to remain and have a lasting impact on the community

After the Outreach

“Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of [Messiah] Jesus.”

— Philippians 1:6

Friday, October 25 onward

• Safety packing up the Clinic site and traveling home
• Effective follow-up by the local congregational network for those who want to learn more
• The Lord to continue to work mightily in this region, building up the Believers and bringing ongoing healing, salvation and deliverance

Let’s Pray

Lord, we rejoice that we sensed from You, during our recent Week of Prayer and Fasting, that You are again “doing a new thing” (Isaiah 43:19). May this new partnership and new location be evidence of the ways You are working in Ethiopia. May many lives be touched and experience new life in Yeshua during this Outreach and through this ongoing partnership! Prepare the way for us to serve You effectively and make You known in southern Ethiopia. All glory and praise to You! In Yeshua’s name, Amen.

The Jewish Fall Feasts have begun, and we are a few days into the new Jewish New Year with hopes of a good year ahead. Whether you are a Jewish or non-Jewish Believer in Yeshua (Jesus), the themes of these Jewish holidays offer valuable opportunities to engage with the Lord and connect to the Jewish roots of your faith in Jesus.

To help make this season even more meaningful for you, we’ve put together a brief review of each holiday, along with links to additional resources to enrich your time with the Lord. We’ve also included prompts to encourage prayer for yourself, your family, the State of Israel, and Jewish people everywhere. May God bless you as you draw close to Him over these holy appointed days and other Jewish holidays.

High Holy Days

Today, we are between the Jewish High Holy Days of Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year) and Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement). The Hebrew calendar counts years from what Jewish sages have determined to be the date of Creation, and the evening of October 2, 2024, ushered in the new Jewish year of 5785. Jewish tradition teaches that on Rosh Hashanah, God declares our fates for the coming year and on Yom Kippur, He seals them.

Rosh Hashanah

Began at nightfall on October 2, 2024, and ended at nightfall on October 4

Rosh Hashanah greetings include wishing someone a “sweet and good year. The last 12 months have been rough, haven’t they? One year ago, Hamas invaded Israel and committed the worst massacre of Jewish lives since the Holocaust. The year has been filled with heartbreak, suffering, turmoil, war, and an explosion of worldwide antisemitism. This year especially, we could use the hope that the next 12 months will be better and sweeter than the last. To help you uncover some extra sweetness in your new year, check out our blog post “Searching for Sweetness.”

Praying for You and Your Family: Pray for the Lord to lead you into the fullness of His purposes for you in the coming year and that your life will grow sweeter and sweeter with the aroma of Messiah in you.

Praying for Israel: Pray that the past year’s tragedies and heartbreaks, along with the ongoing dangers from war and terrorism, will turn hearts to seek God and open up to the Good News of Messiah Jesus. Pray for Jewish Voice Partner Ministries in Israel who are meeting needs, building relationships and sharing the love of Jesus to hurting Israelis every day.

Praying for Jewish People Everywhere:  Pray for protection against antisemitism and that God would use the heightened antisemitic climate to turn Jewish hearts to Him.

The Days of Awe

Began at nightfall on October 2, 2024, and ends at nightfall on October 12

Jewish tradition teaches that the Days of Awe between the two High Holy Days (Rosh Hashanah & Yom Kippur) provide our last opportunity to implore God to grant us a favorable sealing for the year ahead. During this time, Jewish hearts and minds focus intently on self-examination, repentance, making amends with others and pursuing a right standing with God. You can participate in a spiritual inventory exercise by joining us on Facebook or Instagram for daily reflection questions to deepen your walk with the Lord during the Days of Awe.

Praying for You and Your Family: Pray for an open and willing heart to hear the Lord during this time of letting Him speak into your life.

Praying for Israel: Pray that Israelis will press in toward the Lord, seeking His voice and His will for their lives. Pray that He speaks to them, drawing their hearts toward faith in Yeshua.

Praying for Jewish People Everywhere:  Pray for Jewish people throughout the world to hear the Lord calling them to repentance and rest, quietness and trust in Him (Isaiah 30:15).

Yom Kippur

Begins at nightfall on October 11, 2024, and ends at nightfall on October 12

Yom Kippur is the holiest day of the Jewish year. It is the Day of Atonement when, in ancient times, the High Priest would take the blood of a sacrifice into the Temple’s Holy of Holies to make atonement for the sins of himself and Israel. Apart from this, today's emphasis is the same: repentance and seeking God’s forgiveness as we move forward into the following year. It is a day of solemn rest and “afflicting our souls” with fasting to focus on God, His holiness and lordship. To learn more about Yom Kippur, watch this episode of the “Jewish Voice with Jonathan Bernis” TV show. And for some powerful Yom Kippur Bible reading, head over to Hebrews chapters 7–10, which describes Yeshua as our High Priest.

Praying for You and Your Family: Pray for a fresh understanding of God’s holiness and the astounding gift of complete, once-and-for-all atonement of our sins through the sacrificed blood of Jesus the Messiah.

Praying for Israel: Pray that the longing in Israeli hearts for a good sealing for the coming year, especially after such a devastating year, will send them seeking the Lord with fresh hunger and perseverance.

Praying for Jewish People Everywhere:  As Jewish people worldwide fast and pray this day, uncertain of how the Lord receives them, pray that they will come to know the surest hope of all – the hope of eternal life in the Messiah.

Sukkot

Begins at nightfall on October 16, 2024, and ends at nightfall on October 23

Sukkot means “booths” or “tents,” and the seven-day festival in which God instructs that we build temporary structures and live in them during the week. Observance includes dining and entertaining in our sukkah (the singular of sukkot) and remembering God’s provision for and presence with our ancestors in the wilderness for 40 years, between leaving Egypt and finally entering the Promise Land. It is a pleasant time of enjoying the company of family, friends and, most of all, the Lord’s presence. To help you focus on Sukkot’s themes, download our daily Sukkot devotionals.

Praying for You and Your Family: Pray for the Lord to make you keenly aware of His presence and help you delight in His love for you. Thank Him for His indwelling Holy Spirit, who is with you always.

Praying for Israel: Pray that the significance of the sukkah will deeply touch Israelis with God’s presence and that they will press in nearer and nearer to meet with Him there as each day of the festival passes. Pray, as always, that those who do not know the Messiah will come to believe in Him.

Praying for Jewish People Everywhere:  Pray for Jewish people throughout the world to have the same powerful experience of God’s presence as they spend time in their sukkot. Pray that He would impress it on their hearts to take a bold new look at Yeshua regarding the Messianic prophecies in the Hebrew Scriptures.

Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah

Shemini Atzeret begins at nightfall on October 23, 2024, and ends at nightfall on October 24

Simchat Torah begins at nightfall on October 24, 2024, and ends at nightfall on October 25

Shemini Atzeret means “eighth gathering” and refers to the holy assembly the Lord commanded for the eighth day, immediately following Sukkot’s seven-day holiday. It is seen as an invitation to linger one more day in the Lord's presence after a joyous week. Psalm 16:11 tells us that in His presence is fullness of joy.

Simchat Torah is not one of the appointed times outlined in the Scriptures, but even so, it is a vivid and important Jewish holiday. Simchat Torah means “joy of the Torah.” It marks the end of the annual weekly Torah-reading cycle and is a day of utmost rejoicing in the gift of the Scriptures. For a deeper look at the gift of God’s Word, see Read, Reflect, Repeat.  

Last year, this day of great joy fell on a Shabbat – the Sabbath. As Jewish people anticipated a day of both rejuvenating rest and celebratory joy, Hamas carried out an unprecedented attack that turned it into a day of grief like none other since the Holocaust.

Praying for Israel: Pray that God will speak to Israelis, drawing them to Himself and their Messiah as they walk the line that now imprints Simchat Torah as a day of both greatest joy and greatest sorrow.

Praying for You and Your Family: Pray for the Lord to increase your awareness of His presence with you always and grow your hunger for His Word. May He give you increasing joy as you linger in His presence and press on to know Him more every day.

Praying for Jewish People Everywhere:  Pray for Jewish people the world over, in your country and your hometown. Pray that they will long for the fellowship of God like never before and will be drawn into His Word, particularly to Isaiah chapter 53, which foretells the Messiah in such a way that many Jewish people recognize sounds like Jesus.

May the year ahead be sweet for you and your family.

When the calendar rolls around to fall, we know that Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, is near. Our minds turn to taking a spiritual inventory before the Lord, pursuing repentance, seeking forgiveness and making amends. With Rosh Hashanah approaching next month, we want to draw attention to another of its traditional highlights: sweetness.

Apples and honey are iconic symbols of Rosh Hashanah, and the customary holiday greeting is “May you have a sweet new year.” Amid Israel’s war with Hamas and the approaching first anniversary of the October 7 massacre Israel endured, focusing on sweetness may feel almost inappropriate. However, amid so much instability, mourning and bitterness in the world, maybe you’re craving sweetness more than ever. The Lord is ready to give it.

Trying times can make it harder to identify sweet things. However, Philippians 4:8 invites us to set our minds on the good, pure and lovely. The darker the days, the more important this practice becomes to our spiritual health. We must intentionally search out the sweetness the Lord presents us each day. As we train our eyes to scout for His sweet offerings, we heighten our appreciation for His everyday gifts of health, relationships, beauty, His presence, and more.

Aside from these, the Bible tells us about some other sweet things. As we wish each other a sweet New Year this Rosh Hashanah, let’s plan to add these to our regular search for sweetness in the coming year.

1. The Knowledge of God is Sweet

But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in [Messiah], and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place.

— 2 Corinthians 2:14 (NASB1995)

Have you ever walked into a home where someone was baking a sweet treat? As you breathe in the delicious fragrance, you think, “Mmm, what smells so good?” Our greatest gift is salvation in Yeshua (Jesus) and, through Him, the ability to know and be in fellowship with the God of Israel. Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 2:14 that this knowledge of the Messiah has a sweet aroma.

If the sweetness of our knowing Messiah is evident to others, how much does it add to our own lives? Paul wrote in Philippians 3:8 that the value of knowing Yeshua surpassed everything else in his whole life.

The knowledge of God is sweet. Let’s press on to know Him more and more in the coming year, and may this sweetness fill our lives and be manifest to everyone around us.

2. God’s Word is Sweet

How sweet are Your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!

— Psalm 119:103

What’s the longest chapter in the Bible? Psalm 119 has 179 verses and, depending on the translation, just shy of 2,500 words. Its theme is the wonder, glory and benefit of God’s Word. Its author says the words of the Lord are sweeter than honey.

According to the psalmist, dipping our minds into God’s Word is like dipping a hand into a jar of honey and removing it with fingers dripping with sweetness to satisfy our hunger. Let’s commit to spending more time in the Scriptures in the coming year and discovering the sweetness of God’s words there.

3. Wisdom is Sweet

Eat honey, my son, for it is good; honey from the comb is sweet to your taste. Know also that wisdom is like honey for you: If you find it, there is a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off.

— Proverbs 24:13–14

Israel’s King Solomon compared something else to the sweetness of honey: wisdom.

Wisdom is more than knowledge or understanding. Wisdom results when knowledge and experience combine to produce good judgment. The sweetness of wisdom lies in its ability to give us deeper insights than mere information might suggest. Wisdom divides the frivolous from the meaningful. It cuts through confusion and points forward to growth and wholeness.

If we lack wisdom, James 1:5 urges us to ask God for it because He will give it generously. In the months ahead, let’s rejoice in the wisdom God has given us and ask Him to grant us even more so that wisdom’s sweetness will abound in our lives.

4. The Decrees of the Lord are Sweet

The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The decrees of the Lord are firm and all of them are righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb. By them your servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward.

— Psalm 19:9–11

We were each born with a sinful nature, and that makes us prone to resisting rules. So how is it that David was able to say in Psalm 19 that God’s decrees — His laws — are sweet?

God’s laws reveal His holiness, purity and goodness. Beholding the goodness of the Lord is sweet indeed. The Lord’s decrees serve as guardrails to keep our lives centered and on track. His will for our lives is conveyed in various “dos and don’ts” recorded throughout both Old and New Testaments. These help us keep our fellowship with Him clear and clean — where abundant sweetness in life lies.

Throughout this next year, let’s search for the sweetness of the Lord’s decrees. Let’s look for His character, holiness and goodness in the things He tells us in His Word to do and not do.

5. Gracious Words are Sweet

Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.

— Proverbs 16:24

The words we speak carry the power of life and death. So says Proverbs 18:21. They can lift up or tear down. With our tongue, Scripture says, we can help the weak stand and strengthen feeble hearts. Our speech can soothe and heal, turn away wrath, make a heart glad, praise the Lord, deliver knowledge, teach kindness, and proclaim God’s righteousness.* Scripture also reveals that the same tongue that produces sweet words can also attack, lie, curse, poison, plot destruction, work ruin, and crush the spirit.**

Gracious words — kind and pleasant words — are sweet to receive and sweet to give. We can’t control the words others speak to us. However, we can manage what we say.

Don’t we want to edify with our words?  With our speech, we can be soothers and healers, examples of kindness, ones who persuade with gentleness and point people to the praiseworthiness of God. What a privilege it is to possess the power to spread such sweetness in others’ lives.

In the year ahead, let’s commit to becoming speakers of sweet words and being more diligent in stewarding the quality of content we allow into our lives. Life will be sweeter all around if we will.

*See Job 4:4, Proverbs 15:4, Proverbs 15:1, Proverbs 12:25, Psalm 66:17, Proverbs 15:2, Proverbs 31:26, and Psalm 51:14.

**See Jeremiah 18:18, Psalm 78:36, James 3:9, James 3:8, Psalm 52:2, and Proverbs 26:28.

6. Sweet Meditations

May my meditation be sweet to Him; I will be glad in the Lord.

— Psalm 104:34 (NKJV)

God has shown us so much sweetness; how can we return some to Him? What is sweet to the Lord? Our meditations can be.

The word meditation in the Bible encompasses what fills our minds. That includes our thoughts, contemplations, ponderings, reflections, preoccupations and where our mind goes when we let it wander off.

We are the stewards of our thoughts. What we focus on will gain strength, and what we neglect will weaken. 2 Corinthians 10:15 says we have the power and responsibility to bring every thought captive into obedience to Messiah.

God sees our hearts and our thoughts. What kinds of meditations are we presenting to Him? Do sweet offerings flow from us to Him?

Let’s make intentional efforts to steward our thought life well in the next year, focusing on the good and lovely, holy and pure. That way, our minds and meditations will be sweet gifts to the Lord.

Preparing for a Sweet New Year

So, as you’re spending this month preparing your heart with the Lord for the High Holy Days of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, may you also ready yourself to receive a sweet New Year from Him through His bountiful gifts. May the coming year find your life dripping with the sweetness of wisdom, God’s Word, His decrees and the incredible aroma of knowing Him. May your meditations be sweet to Him in return, and may you receive and give an abundance of gracious words.

Gokwe, Zimbabwe, Medical Outreach

• 9,371 Patients Received Care
• 1,181 People Received Dental Care
• 2,676 Eyeglasses Distributed
• 200 Families Received LifeStraw® Water Filters
• 4,625 People Heard the Gospel
• 308 People Received Yeshua
• 231 People Requested Congregational Follow-up

It was an Outreach that almost didn’t happen — at least not in Gokwe, Zimbabwe. To tell the story, we have to look back to last year’s Gokwe Outreach, where, just after the Outreach began, permissions for out-of-country participants were revoked, and we had to leave everything in the hands of the Zimbabwean team. The Lord blessed the work conducted by our Zimbabwean team, and we were happy to receive permission to return to Gokwe this July.  Plans moved forward, but a week before the Outreach, it looked like the Gokwe trip wasn’t possible.

The Lord used a local person of influence to advocate for us, and the necessary final approvals came through at the very last moment.  While partners and staff traveled across the globe, our Africa logistics team completed a week’s worth of site set-up in three days. The Outreach went extremely well and served about 2,000 patients on just the first day — an unusually high first-day count for Zimbabwe.

Israeli Young Adults Minister in Gokwe

One highlight was the participation of dozens of young adults from Israel, many of whom had recently served in the Israel Defense Forces. It truly blessed us to watch these young Israeli Believers live their faith by ministering to thousands of Zimbabweans needing physical and spiritual care.

A Young Girl’s Healing

A young girl came to us with significant vision impairment, unable to see well enough to read anything. We were sad that we couldn’t help her. After her examination, she and her family went to the Spiritual Care Ministry. Team members prayed, and God healed her! We use the Scriptures on our vision tests in the field. When asked to read aloud from a card of Scriptures in successively smaller fonts, she read every last verse, including the tiniest one that some of the team had trouble reading, even with their glasses. Praise the Lord for His mighty works, making Himself known through signs and wonders!

You played a big part in this girl’s healing. Without you, we couldn’t have taken God’s love and Good News to Gokwe. Your gifts profoundly changed her life. Thank you!

Here’s a glimpse of other ways you changed lives in Gokwe, Zimbabwe, this summer. Thank you again for making such a mighty difference in so many lives.