Day 78 Counting the Omer

From the day after the Sabbath, the day you brought the Offering of the Omer, count off seven full weeks. Count off fifty days up to the day after the seventh Sabbath, and then present an offering of new grain to the Lord. From wherever you live, bring two loaves made of two-tenths of an ephah of the finest flour, baked with yeast, as a wave offering of firstfruits to the Lord. Leviticus 23:15-17

In the Old Testament, God commanded Israel to count the Omer (the barley harvest)--the fifty days until Pentecost that began with the day after the sabbath during Passover. (Got that?) Not a big deal until you realize that the Jews didn't have a homeland for nearly 2000 years and therefore had no harvest to count.

But they continued to count the Omer--counting a harvest that did not exist.

So, here's the point. When the Jews in diaspora counted the days of a non-existent harvest in expectation of a blessing that they earnestly hoped for, they set an excellent example for us who trust in the Messiah.

Since faith is the conviction of things NOT seen, we also can begin to give thanks for blessings we're praying for--but have yet to receive. In the meantime, we might experience trials that test and mature our faith.

And that's how we can be thankful, even when we are in the middle of a mess: we give thanks in the expectation of victory, restoration, and a harvest of righteousness that we fully expect and earnestly hope for.

Thank God for the blessings you're about to receive — they're on the way!