Welcome to Teshuvah Elul 17
Today already the seventeenth
The time is really flying
How I’ve loved the fellowship and trials
The hard times even the crying
Oh the lessons I have learned
Learning to work the field has been trying
I’m so glad He invited me
Teshuvah is more than gratifying
I never thought or planned
Wasn’t certain I could do it
Now I know and understand
If He brings me to it, He takes me through it
How could I have doubted
And thought we would’ve quit
Never look back He said
Hand to the plow, eyes ahead, commit
The field is cleared and ready
We are sowing seed today
Seeing the freshly cleared ground
Simply takes my breath away
© laurette laster
Day 17 of 40 Days of Teshuvah
A Season of Repentance and a Season of returning back to The Torah and back to His word.
Teshuvah is an appointed time set by God, a time to prepare, a time to return, a time to continue on with The LORD just as in a covenant or marriage. Yom Teruah or the blowing is the beginning of the Ten Days of Awe. Our rich Jewish heritage teaches us that they decided to add the twenty nine days of Elul as a time of preparation allowing for more time to spend with God. I believe it is a time God accepts as sacred and loves that His people are seeking Him. It is said The King is in the field.
A time to meet with Him and become one with the Almighty
This morning as I was meditating and thinking about the verses in the bible that call us “return to Me says The Lord,” and I will return to you, I realized an amazing fact. I already know this and most of you probably do also, however this morning it was like a light bulb moment.
The majority of the verses for turn, SHUV or return to Teshuvah are found in the First Testament. Or as some say the Old Testament. That wasn’t news to me, but the ‘why’ is what hit my spirit this morning.
God is basically saying, Hey……Come away with Me, come over here I want to show you what I am about to do. Come away with Me, look what I’m about to do. If you Return to me I have a huge blessing to share with you. I Am going to be unwrapping gifts and mysteries soon, and you don’t want to miss this.
We know that the New Testament or the Renewed Covenant is necessary because the old was to show us how far we missed the mark. Mankind continued to transgress against the law. The law was given to show that we couldn’t obtain righteousness on our own. We needed a Savior; we needed a Redeemer, and a Restorer of the breach between God and man.
Sin is missing the mark, or a transgression of the law. What law are we talking about? I am talking about the law of love. Jesus commanded that we are to love The LORD our God with all our heart, all our strength, all our soul, and all of our mind, and our neighbor as our self. This is the commandment Jesus quoted from the book of Deuteronomy. He says all the law and commandments are fulfilled when we love. The law was perfect and we know Jesus said “I have come to fulfill the law, not do away with it.”
When Jesus was teaching He would say; you have heard it said, but I say……………………….. Then He would show the way to fulfillment or how even our thoughts are seen as transgressions or missing the mark, like to hate is as to murder. Or if you look upon a woman with lust you have committed adultery. With this being said we need a time to renew our minds and make sure we are on track with the word.
God was and He is continuing His pursuit of wooing us. Elul is a time of preparing our hearts to accept His covenant of marriage.
In the scriptures God was about to send His only begotten Son, Jesus into the earth. In sending Jesus, The Way, The Truth and The Life, God was making a way for us to return, to Teshuvah, unite with Him. What was Jesus first message? He said, “Repent for the kingdom of God is near.” Jesus says, repent because you sure don’t want to miss this amazing time.
When we think about a marriage proposal, the man proposes to the woman, she will become one with him in covenant, Holy Matrimony, and then be a co owner of all he has.
Zechariah 1:3 Therefore say to the people, ‘This is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies says: Return (Teshuvah) to Me, and I will return, (Teshuvah) to you, says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.
Meditate on that for a moment, isn’t that like a face to face reciting of vows, and then the wedding dance of the bride and groom? Let yourself imagine this.
James says draw nigh unto to God and He will draw nigh unto you.
This is our appointed time to have our hearts and minds cleared of all lies and obstacles that hinder our relationship with our LORD. It really does take my breath away. I remember the newness I felt when I knew I was forgiven when I repented of my sins and my heart was new; when I realized He loved me it wrecked me. It is the most amazing encounter I have ever experienced. I can only imagine what heaven will be like. I pray we return with our whole heart. We do not want to miss the Wedding Supper of The Lamb.
Joel 2:12 Yet even now,” declares The LORD, “Return to me with all your heart and with fasting, weeping and mourning:”
Hebrew 12:25 See to it that you do not refuse Him
Don’t miss this season of Teshuvah
My favorite time of the year
God bless you and keep you and make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you Shalom.
Until next time, thank you for listening with me. Laurette
Through All Seasons 