Day 22: Walking Humbly in His Love

 BLESSING FOR COUNTING THE OMER:

Baruch ata Adonai, ELOHEYNU melech ha-olam, asher kiddeshanu bidvarecha v’tzi-va-noo al sifeerat ha-omer.

Blessed are you, O Adonai our GOD, King of the universe Who has sanctified us by your Word and commanded us concerning the Counting of the Omer.

Today is twenty-two days, which is three weeks and one day of the Omer.

In this 4^th week of the counting of the Omer, the focus will be Netzach, Endurance/Victory. And today is Chesed of Netzach, or, in English, Loving-kindness within Endurance/Victory.

Our Father shows us a deep, active, covenantal love that never quits, never fails, and persists beyond any wrongdoing. The endurance of His love for us goes beyond a “warm and fuzzy emotion,” but it is a steadfast love that is fiercely committed to mending brokenness and extending grace even after betrayal or our failure.

One of the Shacharit (morning) prayers we recite on Shabbat is Psalm 136. We sing: Hodu L’Adonai ki tov: Give thanks to the LORD for He is good; and then we repeat the phrase, “Ki le’olam chasdo” meaning ‘His chesed, or lovingkindness endures forever.” God’s lovingkindness is everlasting and persists even when people are unfaithful or even turn their backs on Him. 

Unfortunately, we find way too many examples of His people rebelling and forgetting His ways and commandments in the Bible. The Bible is filled with humans that are fallen, the greatest ones, like Moses and David, were not perfect. These great men and many others are there to show us that God doesn’t ever give up on us. He makes a way for each one of us to come back to Him. But what does God require of us? Is it too difficult? He only asks:

“He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?  Micah 6:8

We must act justly, to be fair and honest in our dealings with others. We must love mercy, showing genuine kindness and compassion to those in need. And must walk humbly with our God, humbling ourselves daily before Him with fear and trembling for His will to be done in us.

Yeshua summed it up nicely when He was asked by one of the teachers of the law; What is the Greatest Commandment?

“Yeshua answered him, "The first of all the commandments is: 'Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one. 'And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.' This is the first commandment. "And the second, like it, is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these." So the scribe said to Him, "Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth, for there is one God, and there is no other but He.  "And to love Him with all the heart, with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, is more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices."  Now when Yeshua saw that he answered wisely, He said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God."  Mark 12:29-34a