Joel 2:12-14 Therefore also now, saith the Lord, turn ye even to Me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: 13 and rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your GOD: for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil. 14 Who knoweth if he will return and repent and leave a blessing behind him:
I want to be a Baal Teshuvah- a Master Returner.
When I miss the mark I want to repent quickly and thoroughly. I want my Father to know I am on His side, and that I am working in the family business using the guidelines He requires. There is a job description. I pray I never become comfortable overlooking my sins or become careless with the things of God. Our precious redemption was purchased with the blood of Jesus, how should we respond?
Wonderful Merciful Savior, Precious Redeemer and Friend, who would have thought that a Lamb could rescue the souls of men. Selah
How great The Father’s love for us, how rich beyond all measure. That He should give His only Son, to make a (this) wretch His treasure. Selah
How amazing and gracious is the God we serve. God never gives up on us. One of the thirteen attributes of the mercies of God, that He rules the earth and man with, is that our Father, is gracious, and He is longsuffering.
Have you known or considered that God, would set aside a time each year, just to meet with, and to seek His people? Or that our Father would go on a treasure hunt, so to speak. And may I tell you, if you have never thought about it or considered this idea before, you are the treasure He is searching for? No matter today what condition you may be in, God has a set season to lure you back into the fold. Or perhaps you may be thinking, well He is God and He has all this in His control, so nothing I could learn, or do, could change my life or the situations, or the lives around me.
There is nothing further from the truth than that statement. What we learn from studying the word of God is that can talk to the Author of the word. Then by following His commands we are ushered into a relationship with the Author. His precious Holy Spirit, begins to teach us, and to show us exactly how much God, loves us, and how we are to love God. God desires a real relationship with His people. He wants a face to face meeting time.
God sends messengers along our path to woo us back to Him. He may be leaving sticky notes all around, reminding you of this meeting time He has set . He will gently remind you, whispering, “hey I want to meet with you.” Are you noticing certain things that keep happening over and over? Are you thinking or have you found yourself asking, can this be a coincidence? Have you ask others in your life to help figure these things out? This could be “Someone” trying to speak to you. Today I hear people say what I used to say, ‘Something’ told me, God’s other name is ‘Something’. He convicts us of sin ever so gently. Elijah heard the Lord, in a still small voice. Could it possibly be, you are looking for or expecting the spectacular and missing the supernatural?
Often the tug on our hearts is ever so gentle, yet it seems to be pushing the very breath right out of our lungs. The weight of conviction appears to be so heavy, yet it is as light as a feather and laying on our chest and on our gut. It is, deep calling unto deep. Do not ignore this call.
We are God’s workmanship, His masterpiece. The bible makes reference to God being our Shepherd, and Peter, refers to Jesus, as The Great Shepherd and overseer of our soul. If Jesus is the over seer of our soul, our soul needs to be examined. A good shepherd, notices if he is missing a sheep. He also is very familiar with the bleating a sheep makes when it is cast down or trapped. Sin is a trap, even little sins are like parasites, damaging to the soul and to the overall health of the sheep.
Yesterday we talked about consecration. Moses was told to consecrate the children of Israel, and have them wash their clothes before meeting with God. Consecration is twofold, it is inward and outward. Washing their clothes was proof they heard what God commanded. Remember what God said to Moses if they are willing to hear and obey My commands, I’ll come down and speak so that they can hear. So, there was a heart test from the beginning. The children of Israel, could not see into the depth of these actions like you and I are able to see into them today. We are a blessed people.
When my heart was pierced through, with the love of God, it changed everything. It changed how I lived on the outside, because my belief on the inside had been revolutionized. It was twofold and Love is the game changer. It was from the inside out, not from the outside in. Others also noticed this change. Many could see it before I ever talked to them. People would say to me, you look different. I heard more than once, I looked younger, and less stressed. It was because I had laid down the heavy weights and baggage of guilt, shame, regret, low self esteem and the feeling of trying to be good enough, or to measure up, or pay God back somehow. The insanity of hiding and dragging around sin is paralyzing. Read Luke 5:17-26 I didn’t understand how to truly repent. Oh yeah, I thought I had, but in reality, I had stuffed all this stuff, and it was a heavy burden. The effects of sin were still weighting me down. Not only the sins I committed, but also the sins committed against me.
We are sheep! We are not pack animals. We are not like mules who are designed and used to pack down with supplies, and then travel while carrying these heavy loads. No, we are His sheep, we belong to The Lord. Have you heard the term, stubborn as an ole mule? We do not want to be stubborn and rebellious. However I was in my ignorance. Have you heard someone say? “God will not give you more than you can carry?” Before you buy this, be certain whatever you are carrying is truly from God. Satan wants you to believe that God has placed something on you, when in reality you may have gotten yourself into a mess just by following your own desires.
Sin can be overt and covert. That is why it is so precious to be given a season of repentance. We do not want to stuff our stuff, we want to be set free. Why is our spirit crying out, or bleating set me free? It is an inward cry or bleating, asking to be helped and righted so that you will be able to live the life you are created for. We are His masterpiece, and our hearts desire is to abide in the vine and to bear much fruit.
Say this out loud. Elul a season to prepare and to search my heart. A soul searching season set by God. A meeting with My Master Gardener. My Father is on a treasure hunt and He is searching for me.
Psalm 51 is sometimes called “Perek Teshuvah” or the great chapter of repentance. King David is also known as a Baal Teshuvah, meaning, Master Returner. After King David was confronted with his sin, and the truth of his crime, and had convicted himself out of his own mouth, King David cried out to God. Read Psalm 51
Pray this prayer:
Have mercy on me, Oh God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. I have sinned against You and You alone. Create in me a pure heart, O God and a renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
You do not want to miss this wonderful season of repentance, a time of turning back to God. Teshuvah, to shuv or turn back, to return to God. I pray we can become Baal Teshuvah.
Do Not Be Deceived!
Matthew 24:4 Take heed that no one deceives you.
Is it google, giggle, or gaggle?
Where does new information grow?
True wisdom is found in the heart of God,
And to the Bible we should go.
Beware lest any trick us,
with new translations that have no power.
Beware of false doctrines,
Jesus message to the church, in this last hour!
Let not any deceive you;
the word of God is alive!
Refining and transforming,
Truth that changes, bringing death to life!
So if you are made to feel comfortable,
while living in sin, you are feeling fine,
you have been deceived, you have bought the lie.
Beware lest any deceive, not an obscure line!
The word of God is sharp
and is able to discern.
And when you plug into its power,
it should change you, reprove what you did learn.
Deliverance comes from sorrow,
Of the past failures and our wrongs.
It cannot be without repentance,
No matter how you cry and long.
For Esau sought with tears,
after believing to get something new,
And traded away his birthright
In return for a simple bowl of stew!
Beware of no conviction,
As you sit with your crowd,
God has so much more to say;
His Voice so soft, yet booming loud.
For no not one is perfect.
God created seasons to teach us how,
Conviction with tears His gift,
Repentance causes knees to bow.
Repentance what a wonderful gift
now tears that freely flow,
are washing away the debris,
Weeds I didn’t mean to let grow.
Heavy equipment was required,
for breaking up my fallow ground.
Repentance, prayer, and confession,
with this gift, I am no longer bound.
Now I will keep watch and tend my garden,
And never allow those weeds,
Remember the ones most deadly;
Are the ones that can deceive!
Poem written by laurette laster © 2018 August
2 Timothy 3:5
NLT They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that.
Ellicott’s commentary for English Readers(5) Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof.–Keeping up a show of observing the outward forms of religion, but renouncing its power and its influence over the heart and the life; shewing openly that they neither acknowledged its guidance or wished to do so. These, by claiming the title of Christians, wearing before men the uniform of Christ, but by their lives dishonouring His name, did the gravest injury to the holy Christian cause.
This meeting is not to judge us or to condemn us, this season is a time of soul searching and soul cleansing. Your heart knows. Perhaps He will return and repent and leave a blessing behind Him.
God bless you and keep you and make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you and give you Shalom.
Until next time, thank you for listening with me. Laurette
Through All Seasons 
❤️
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