Hey friends! Before this new week ends, Passover will commence. (Sunset Saturday evening.) The 8-day bundle of feasts, known most readily as Passover, actually encompasses the Feast of Unleavened Bread and the Feast of First Fruits. All are symbolic of the Israelite’s escape from Egyptian captivity, only to wander in the desert for 40 years.

Yet, these feasts of Israel also remind us that Jesus is our Passover Lamb, He exchanged our sinfulness (represented by unleavened bread) for His righteousness, and He was the first to rise to new life, so that we might do so also. That’s the nutshell of Passover, Feast of Unleavened Bread and Feast of First Fruits.

This beautiful Sunday, let’s spend a devotional moment considering the wandering in the wilderness that laid the groundwork for those wonderful feasts God ordained for the Jewish people. Then, consider the best part: Jesus Christ became the embodiment of each!

40 years of wandering in a desert is beyond comprehension. First, consider how long 40 years is. If you have lived that long, think back and consider how long ago that was. Imagine trapesing around in barren nothingness for that long. Do you ever find yourself wandering in a desert of heartache, disappointment, threats, and terror? That is the plight of Israel today.

Recently, my friends at FIRM (Fellowship of Israel Related Ministries) shared a newsletter that puts Israeli life today into context of wilderness wandering. Meditate on this…

Passover is just around the corner—and here in Israel, we’re beginning to feel how the Israelites must have felt in the wilderness: weary, restless, and wondering when a breakthrough will come.

We’re now 18 months into the most difficult war in Israel’s modern history. Ceasefire talks have stalled. Hostages are still being held in Gaza. And the sense of wandering without resolution is as heavy as ever.

In many ways, Israel is in the wilderness.

As we head toward Passover, I’ve been thinking a lot about how long the Israelites wandered in the desert. It wasn’t just days or weeks—but years. And yet, God never stopped leading them. His presence stayed with them, at every step of the way.

I witnessed that heaviness in the land of Israel just a month ago. Amidst war, hostages, displaced families and much heartache, it surely must seem like a wilderness experience for our Jewish friends. But as mentioned yesterday, we (believers) can make a huge difference simply by praying for and supporting our Jewish friends.

This Lord’s Day, will you take a moment to pray for Israel? While you’re at it, ask the Lord what part you might play in “provoking the Jews to jealousy,” as commanded in Romans 11. Seeing the light of Messiah brings you out of the desert! Our support is more important than we even imagine.

Have a blessed day!