Daily Omer Counting - Day 30, evening of Monday, May 19th

"And from the day on which you bring [the omer], the sheaf of the elevation offering- the day after the Sabbath-you shall count off seven weeks. They must be complete: you must count until the day after the seventh week-fifty days; then you shall bring an offering of new grain to the Lord." Leviticus 23:15-16, NJPS This 7-week prayer journey will take you from thanksgiving for the past, to intercession for the future, to a final expression of worship as we contemplate the fulfillment of God’s purposes in Messiah.

Here's how to count the omer:

1. Recite the blessing,

Baruch atah Adonai Elohenu melech ha-olam, asher kid'shanu b'mitzvotav v'tzivanu al sefirat ha-Omer.

Blessed are You O Lord our God, King of the universe, Who has sanctified us by His commandments and commanded us concerning the count of the Omer.

2. Recite the count of the omer, saying:

"Today is four weeks and 2 days of the omer."

Week 5 May 18-24 (alternate 5/24-5/30): Embracing the Future: The World

Scripture for Day 30:

Look to Me, and be saved, All you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other. (Isa. 45:22-23)

It seems unavoidable, life is filled with problems. In between our favorite TV shows, advertisers give us all kinds of solutions to these problems. How many of us chase after these solutions only to find that the problems still exist, or we now have new ones to worry about. Often there are simple solutions to our problems which we ignore because they seem too hard to implement. Do you get heartburn after you eat? Someone out there has a pill that will help! That's the easy solution to a problem that never goes away. How about you change what you eat and find something that your body internals are happy with? That's impossible!

Hashem has given us many simple solutions to the problems in life. They are contained in His Word. Unfortunately, all through our history we have sought our own solutions to life's problems. In the scriptures this is exemplified through our nation gravitating toward idolatry. Today we don't see the idols of ancient days, but we are just unaware of God's solutions to our problems and we run off trying to master our own remedies.

The simple answer to all of this is "I am God, there is no other." Only Hashem can provide the permanent solutions to our varied problems. Seek Him first, bring yourself to the foot of Sinai and heed His voice. The answer may not always be what we want or what feels good, but His answers always bring restoration when we humble ourselves before Him. Let Yeshua bring you to the mountain in this season to show you the answers you need.

Rabbi Jason Forbes