You’ve prayed and prayed; you’ve put your request on the prayer chain; you’ve prayed without ceasing for as long as possible and agreed with two or more other believers. Yet, you still have no answer. Where’s Yehovah? Why is he silent? Is he listening?
I believe he is listening, and that he never ignores your prayers. He doesn’t always answer you, but I believe he always responds. Even silence can be an answer. There are many ways he responds to us and many ways we can miss his answers.
“I belong to my love and his desire is for me.”
Song of Songs 7:10
That’s not just a song from one of Solomon’s many wives. This is a picture of how Yeshua wants to live with us every day, every hour, every minute.
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“God works in mysterious ways.” We hear that phrase frequently. Usually it’s when we can’t understand what Yehovah is doing, or make sense of why things are like they are. And sometimes it’s when something unexpectedly good happens out of a bad situation.
Although it’s not a quote from the scriptures, it is scriptural:
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9
But typically, when we throw something in the “mysterious” category, we leave it there. We chalk it up to never being able to understand God’s ways. But in doing so, we miss what he would like to reveal to us.
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Do you believe God has something exciting planned for your future? Maybe you’re in a difficult situation that you’d like to move through more quickly? Possibly you feel stuck in a rut and don’t know how to move into what God might have for you.
I’m not sure we can actually speed up God’s will in our lives. He already “created us for good works, which he prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” (Eph. 2:10) Ultimately everything will be done in his perfect timing. But, I do think we can delay his will. Distractions, ambivalence, or sometimes just being unaware can require that he goes slower than we would like, maybe even slower than he would like. I’m guilty of all of these.
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On the Hebrew calendar, the 9th day of Av (Tisha b’Av in Hebrew) is a notorious date of tragedy for the Jewish people. Many major tragedies are recorded in the Bible and continue up to modern history.
The Bible tells us that Aaron died on the first day of Av. Although he was a faithful servant for 40 years, he was part of that first generation that did not get to go into the Promised Land because of unbelief. Later, both temples were destroyed on the 9th of Av, as well as many, many other calamities down through the centuries.
Obedience in our spiritual life is a form of spiritual warfare, because obedience creates an atmosphere that brings righteousness to dark places.
Intuitively we know this. But I want to break it down into practical actions that will make it a continual reality in our lives. The bottom line is, it’s supernatural, it doesn’t make logical sense here on earth. We have to move beyond the natural to even discuss the topic of spiritual warfare.
The Lord’s Holy Days, Feast Days, Jewish Feasts, Appointed Times, Mo’edim — whatever term you use, don’t miss these days! If you are seeking more intimacy in your walk with Yeshua, learning about, experiencing and keeping these feasts (including the Sabbath) will bring you not only into deeper intimacy with him, but Yehovah will shower you with new understanding, unexpected blessings, strengthened faith and fresh excitement daily. I highly recommend it!
Included here is a list of my blog posts about the Spring Feasts and a Biblical haggadah for Passover.
First of all, this quick reference guide shows the 2025 Hebrew and Gregorian dates, the Hebrew names, the purpose of the Feasts and Biblical instructions for observing them from a Messianic understanding.
Although for me the first time through the Feasts was more learning than experiencing, with each passing year, they grow in richness and revelation of Yeshua. In the following posts I’ve attempted to share some of those insights in the hopes that you will be encouraged to start or continue your pursuit of your own journey into intimacy with Him.
Parsha Sh’lach L’cha, Numbers 13-15, is centered on our first glimpse of the Promised Land after leaving Egypt. We read the exciting report that the scouts brought back, the good and the bad.
But I want to focus on just one verse – not even a whole verse, just one sentence. It’s a statement that is easily overlooked in the highs and lows of the story. It’s easy to miss the significance of it, because in most of our cultures today, it doesn’t carry the same meaning. However, in this case, it was life-changing and destiny defining. If we can capture the significance of this concept in our own lives, it can be the same for us.
If your Sabbath gathering has been cancelled due to COVID-19, take heart – you can still keep the Sabbath! Once you’ve kept the Sabbath for any length of time, it is truly painful when you can’t. Somehow your physical and spiritual clock knows when the Sabbath is and longs for it when you cannot observe it in your normal custom. Don’t let the disruption of a cancelled gathering take away your Sabbath peace and joy. Continue to guard that time and begin your own traditions and routines in your home that bring that same spirit and refreshment to your island of sacred time with the Lord. Read the rest of this page »
While not one of Yehovah’s commanded feasts, I believe Purim, the remembrance of the story of Esther in the Bible, is worthy of its annual celebration.
Purim is a microcosm of our own lifelong quests: to walk in Yehovah’s ways despite the pressures around us, to trust that his purposes are being manifest in the events of our nation and world, and to have the courage to submit to his sovereignty and will at every turn. In short, it’s about living a life of faith.
As you read the story and the following posts, you will see yourself and your circumstances, as well as Yehovah’s sovereignty and guidance in your own life.
The Omer Count always begins at sundown on the Feast of First Fruits, and ends on the day before Pentecost (Shavuot) – 7 weeks, 49 days. (See the dates here.)
So what’s an Omer? Why would Yehovah want us to count it? Is it still relevant today? Those were my questions, and these links discuss the answers I found in my search.
If you’ve never counted the omer, I encourage you to begin the journey and see how Yehovah answers these questions for you. If you’re counting the omer and looking for fresh insight, I pray He will use this teaching to enlighten your path. I hope you will leave a comment about what he’s taught you as well.
Hanukkah – It’s not one of Yehovah’s appointed holy days, not the Jewish Christmas, not even the biggest celebration on the Hebrew calendar. Sometimes referred to as the “Festival of Lights” or the “Feast of Dedication,” it is mentioned in the Bible as being observed in Yeshua’s day (John 10:22). It’s the celebration of a victory for the Jews recorded in the books of 1 Maccabees & 2 Maccabees written in the latter part of the 2nd century BC. Depending on which calendar you follow, the celebration will typically take place over eight days in December.
Some people would ask, “Why should Christians celebrate Hanukkah; why not just celebrate Christmas?” An easy question, with a complex answer. Much has been written and taught on the origins of Christmas, so I won’t reiterate that here. What is included here are several things I’ve learned about Yehovah and Yeshua by observing Hanukkah. While it is optional, it certainly can be a wonderful focal point for meditation and revelation.
Hanukkah? Chanukah? And Why Does the Date Keep Changing?
Hanukkah…A Time of Re-Dedication
As Hanukkah’s Candles, We Light up the Darkness
Hanukkah Home Celebration Kit
Happy Hanukkah!
The weekly portion of Sh’lach L’cha, Numbers 13-15 is the account of the 12 men going into the Promised Land to reconnoiter it and come back to report to the people what it’s like. This is the point at which Yehovah decides that the Israelites are going to spend 40 years in the desert.
40 years! How old were you 40 years ago? It was the beginning of the1980s – What were you doing in 1980s? A lot has happened since then. What about ten years later in the 90s? What were you doing in the at the turn of the century? Think about everything that’s gone on in just the last ten years.
40 years is almost half of our lifetime. It’s a long time. It seems like a harsh punishment. Read the rest of this page »
Counting the Omer – most are familiar with the culmination of the count, which is Pentecost, also called the Festival of Weeks. “Weeks” is taken from the Hebrew word “shavuot” and refers to the seven weeks that precede Pentecost. Leviticus 23:15 tells us to count the weeks between the Feast of First Fruits and Pentecost:
“From the day after the Sabbath, the day you brought the sheaf of the wave offering, count off seven full weeks.”
Did you know, “about 40 to 50 percent of your day is made up of habits? But you don’t recognize them because they’re unconscious.”
Olympic multi-gold medal swimmer, Michael Phelps started training at the age of 7, but his coach knew habits—not skills alone—would be the driver of his success. So, Phelps’s coach built a series of activities before every race designed to give him a sense of building victory. On the day of the race, he gets out of bed, eats certain things, does specific stretches and exercises, he thinks about certain things. By the time the race arrives, Phelps is already more than halfway through his unconscious habits and the pattern he lives by on a daily basis. That way, the race itself—and winning the race—is just another step in Phelps’s laundry list of things to do. He’s made winning a habit.
Wow – the mind is an amazing thing! But how do we transfer that to other parts of our lives? Read the rest of this page »
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