Elul Three Welcome to Teshuvah

Elul Three Welcome to Teshuvah

September/Elul

It is now day three

Oh what joy

He has given me

 

I was able to discard

My old faulty shoes

They were noisy and clanging

He wasn’t amused

 

He left me a gift

Yet again another

They are whisper quiet

Work boots of peace to cover

 

I wonder where we are going

He is dressing me so

I’m more than excited

Teshuvah I must go

© laurette laster

If I were to speak with eloquence in earth’s many languages, and in the heavenly tongues of angels, yet I didn’t express myself with love, my words would be reduced to the hollow sound of nothing more than a clanging cymbal

 

Day 3 of The 40 Days of Teshuvah

 

God have mercy on me, a sinner.

 

Do you know that you are justified by God? When we are called by grace into a season of repentance it is so amazing. Then and only then do we understand the author and his heart when he penned the words to the song, Amazing Grace.

 

Amazing Grace

How sweet the sound

That saved a wretch like me

I once was lost

But now I’m found

Was blind

But now I see

 

Teshuvah – to change your mind, to turn and to return is a deep desire that is truly ignited and born from zeal, to know and please the One True God.

 

Grace that is from God comes from deep within our soul. It isn’t head knowledge and cannot be explained. When God is drawing us, we are drawn by love, into a place of no return. For me I can honestly say that I didn’t want to leave. Once His grace touched my soul and I began to live my new life I had to learn to venture out slowly at first. Like a toddler I didn’t want to get to far away from His safe sure arms. I am still undone, even today just thinking about it.

It is the grace and goodness of God that leads us to repentance, I want all I can have. If it doesn’t take you to your knees I say beware it may be frenzy not fervor.

AW Tozer puts it so eloquently.

Repentance or Teshuvah then is a zeal that leads to penitence, restitution, and amendment of life is surely precious to God.

In Luke 18:9-14 Jesus told a parable.

“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’

“But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’

“I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” (NIV)

By AW Tozer

Not the quantity of zeal matters to God, but the quality. The significant question is not how zealous is the Christian but why is he zealous and to what does his zeal lead? To the church at Laodicea our Lord said, “Be zealous, therefore, and repent” (Revelation 3:19, KJV). The zeal that leads to penitence, restitution and amendment of life is surely dear to God. The ardor that drives a man to his knees in intercession for others was found in men like Moses, Daniel and Ezra;

 

God bless you and keep you and make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you. God cause His countenance to rise upon you and give you Shalom.

 

 

God, had mercy on me, a sinner, now I am redeemed. He set me free.

 

Until next time, thank you for listening with me. Laurette

Teshuvah, my favorite time of the year.