Welcome to Teshuvah Elul 16
Elul 16 is the day
More than halfway through
My outfit has been perfect
For the work we had to do
This plowing and preparing
Breaking up the fallow ground
What I didn’t understand then
The weeds sure had me bound
With the old stalks
From harvest of days gone by
No room for the new
Plant and water as I try
Only freshly plowed fields
Offer the hope of sowing
Now together we watch
Plant a harvest that can be growing
How I love His instructions
How I love His voice
He is always helping
Guiding my every choice
© laurette laster 2019
Teshuvah is a time to reflect and return, and it’s never too late.
Isaiah 53:6 says
We all like sheep have gone astray, each one has turned to his own way; and The Lord had laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
The Jubilee bible says we have become lost.
YLT says all of us like sheep have wandered, each to his own way. We have turned and wandered off from the teachings of God.
I believe this is one reason God set aside a special time to Teshuvah each year. It is to give us the chance to slow down and reset the needle. Have you ever caught yourself repeating patterns or repeating mistakes over and over? I thought about some ideas that I’ve had in the past. The ideas were not particularly bad ideas but they were not ‘God’ plans or ideas. In my broken and damaged emotions I was able to convince myself, “this must be God.” Without knowing or understanding the word of God, sitting under good Shepherds and teachers, and godly leaders, we can easily go astray. Without a working understanding of the Torah or the teaching, we are in danger of being led away by our emotions. Feelings are very deceiving, they not good leaders they are good deceivers. Our emotions and feelings do not have to line up with the word for the word to grow or sprout. The word of God is alive and powerful. I do not have to feel like moving the lamp closer to an outlet and plugging it for it to work. Once I plug the lamp in to the outlet it is connected to the power and can be turned on, no matter what my feelings or emotions are. It is the same for us. Beware of being led by feelings that is how many a sheep have wandered off and become cast. Cast is to be turned upside down and unable to get back on their feet.
A good idea that isn’t leading us toward the will of God is still a wrong turn or turning away from God. When we are traveling and make a wrong turn we do not convince ourselves that we will reach our destinations just the same. This is why it is very dangerous to listen to messages that tell us any old road, and any old turn will safely take you to your desired location. No, that would be foolish. If we have gone astray, or wandered off following our feelings, we must repent and then get back on course.
We may learn some valuable lessons along the way. I know I sure did. Lessons that taught me to pray: Dear God, I’m so sorry, help me, I never want to do that again. Please forgive me and give me ears to hear Your voice. Teach me to love Your word, and Your directions.
In the bible sin is said to miss the mark. The apostle Paul states; “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Missing the mark is missing the mark. If we miss our mark by 1/16 of an inch or by 1600 miles we still missed it. Think about that. To be so close, as if we can taste it, then to allow the deception and the lies of the enemy take us off tract and rob us from Gods best. This is why I have come to love the season of Teshuvah and the Fall Feasts that God has ordained. It is a time to evaluate and come away with Him for introspection. Have I allowed any old weeds room to grow? Have I overlooked a small part of my field allowing some old unwanted scrub brush to choke out my soon to be growing harvest? After doing the work of repentance I want to keep a close watch on my field or like the bible says to guard my heart with all diligence.
Jesus has laid a foundation and we can shuv, turn, Teshuvah, return and build on this foundation. He is the Rock of our salvation.
He is our Great Shepherd. He says my sheep know my voice and another they will not follow.
This season I pray we have ears to hear what the Spirit is saying to the church.
Jesus said let him has ears hear. He goes on to say consider or pay attention to what you hear. With the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.
How does He does He measure our hearing? Is there a test?
Yes and we are graded based on our obedience. There is hearing, then there is HEARING.
Just like a diagnostic hearing test, it is by the ability to follow the verbal command that allows the diagnostician to evaluate our hearing. Pretty simple huh?
When we blow it we can Teshuvah. We admit we have gone astray and missed it. We tell The Lord we are turning back to His heart and His word. And we return, Teshuvah with our whole heart.
SINNERS MUST REPENT IN ORDER TO BE SAVED. There is no doubt that sinners are called to repent, and that their repentance is required for their salvation. Jesus said, “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Luke 5:32).
The words of Jesus remove any doubt about the requirement of repentance for salvation, “Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish,” (Luke 13:3). “All men everywhere,” according to God’s requirement (Acts 17:30), are commanded “to repent.”
Christian churches are the ones addressed in Revelation 2 and 3—seven congregations to be exact. They are given direct messages suited to their situations from our risen Christ, and five of the seven are called upon to repent (the Ephesians’ church in 2:5, the church in Pergamos in 2:16, some in the church of Thyatira in 2:21, the church in Sardis in 3:3, and the church of the Laodicea in 3:19).
Don’t miss this season of Teshuvah it is my favorite time of year.
God bless you and keep you and make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord cause His countenance to rise upon you and give you Shalom.
Until next time, thank you for listening with me. Laurette
Through All Seasons 