Today is Shavuot (Feast of Weeks). What does this feast mean for you and me and what is God’s greatest gift to us through it?
Despite the difficulties of the times, something wonderful is taking place in the global Body of Christ. Around the world, more and more believers have been awakening to the Hebraic roots of biblical Christianity. As part of this awakening, a growing remnant of those who love Jesus and follow His Word understand that Jewish and Gentile believers are One New Man in Him. (Ephesians 2:14-16)
No feast highlights the reality of One New Man as does the Feast of Shavuot, which we celebrate today, May 17. In past years we have shared detailed teachings with you on Shavuot, which is described in Exodus 23:16 and 34:22, Leviticus 23:15-22, Numbers 28:26 and Deuteronomy 16:10. We’ve shared how the feast was gloriously fulfilled over 2,000 years ago, on a day now known as Pentecost, with the outpouring of God’s Holy Spirit and birth of the Church.
Prophetic parallels between Shavuot and Pentecost are magnificent and multi-faceted. This year, however, we focus on the paramount fulfillment of Shavuot in the incomparably gracious gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit.
The idea of God dwelling inside otherwise ordinary human beings is shockingly and almost scandalously incomprehensible from a pre-Messianic, Hebraic perspective. That Most Holy YHVH, Creator-King of the Universe, would take up residence in our fallen, frail bodies, gives staggering testimony of the passion and power of His love for you and me!
So this Shavuot, we take time to honor and celebrate the Holy Spirit with you as One New Man. We invite you to join in this devotional prayer of praise and thanksgiving:
“We honor You, cherished Spirit of the living God, with wholehearted thanksgiving. We praise You as our Teacher and Counselor who guides us into all truth. How grateful we are for Your loving conviction of sin as You transform us into a spotless Bride. We delight in Your holy, perfect guidance and re-commit this day to surrender to Your leadership. (John 14:16-17, 26; 16:7, 13; 1 Cor. 2:12-16; 1 John 2:27; 1 Cor. 12:10)
“You are our most welcomed, most faithful Helper through life’s journey. We delight immensely in Your daily, loving help. We praise and thank You for being our Empowerer, the One who enables us by Your own supreme power, to live rightly before God and men. We glorify You as Gift Giver, for the supernatural gifts You give us, that God may be glorified as we exercise those gifts. We treasure and exalt You as Comforter, for You strengthen us like no other with Your kind nurture and peace. We bless You with deep gratitude as Intercessor, the One who intercedes for us when we do not know how to pray. Holy Spirit, all that we have and do is in, through and by You. This Shavuot, we ask You to fill us afresh to joyfully surrender, more and more, to You. (1 John 2:1; 1 Cor. 2:12-16; John 14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7; Romans 8:26)
“You have made us one Body, Jew and Gentile, male and female, from all nations and stations of life. You sustain us as one Body, conforming us to the likeness of Yeshua. We laud You with love and adoration as holy “Body Builder.” We worship You and honor Your ministry in each member of the Body. We receive fresh anointing from You to build the Body to its full stature, as You empower us to share the good news of salvation and make disciples of men.
“We praise You because the fruit of surrender to You is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23) We praise You as the consummate expression of these holy attributes. Our hearts leap with gratitude for Your own, never-ending love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness and self-control (divine deference to the will of the Father and Son).
“Treasured Holy Spirit, this Shavuot, may You be pleased with, and blessed by, the people in whom You dwell.”