A FRESH NEW START
A wedding day is coming. A Kingdom is being established. This time of examination during the season of Elul has been established. It serves as an annual way to help us enter the new civil year on the Hebraic calendar. Our goal is to enter the Day of Atonement by being completely clean before God. If that is so, we are prepared for the wedding.
So, we faithfully prepare and refresh our souls. It is our desire for God’s Holy Spirit to do the work within us. We want to be renewed and ready for the work of The Kingdom of Heaven. As Christians of God’s Church, all of our sins (past, present, and future) have already been forgiven. This happens through the free gift of salvation. Upon belief and repentance, Jesus removes our sins as far as the east to the west.
However, this season of Elul is a time of recommitment. We renew our journey and continue walking toward that righteous way of living which Yeshua showed to us. If we have strayed from the right path, this season helps us return to the flock. The whole process is a deliberate and meditated rededication to God’s way of life.
So, as we look over the past year of our lives, we acknowledge our sins. We repent and turn away from them. Then we recommit to any changes for becoming better servants in God’s Kingdom. This is the process of Elul.
A TIME OF RECOMMITMENT
An example of this process would be comparable to a couple deciding to celebrate their marriage anniversary. Annually a couple might stop to reflect on the progress of their marriage. Hopefully, they will be giving thanks for a year of many blessings. An anniversary date is a good time to ponder how things in the marriage have progressed over the last year.
Looking back one might realize they did not pay enough attention to their spouse. Maybe some of those things that make the marriage work are overlooked or neglected. Once during each passing year, it is a good practice to stop to remember. It helps to be paying attention, and making good adjustments.
A TIME FOR COMMUNICATING WITH ONE ANOTHER
Anniversaries are great times to talk things over. It is a good time to set new goals together. This is a good time to communicate and confess any wrongs to your mate. Or even better, to thank them for all they are doing right. Hopefully, by working together, couples can look back over each passing year and know how much they have grown together. The whole process is about continuing to grow.
From these annually repeated reflections and self-examinations, marriages are made stronger and better. Life flourishes for each partner. Everyone feels safe and cared-for in a loving and compassionate way. The love for one another increases because of these deliberate annual attempts to be aware of one another’s needs.
THE SACREDNESS OF THE MARRIAGE
The season of Elul works in much the same way. We, the believers of God’s Church, are engaged to Yeshua. He is waiting patiently for The Marriage Supper of the Lamb. There He will take the Church to be His eternal Bride.
If a year has passed without the Bride considering the sacredness of this marriage, she should stop to examine her life. She should ponder and reconsider the sacredness of her vows. Elul is an annual reminder to remember our vows. Nothing on this earth should be more important or urgent than considering the feelings of our beloved.
A PRAYER FOR TODAY
Today I pray that The King of All Kings will tap you on the shoulder and remind you that He is soon returning. I’m asking God to show you everything that you need to know to be in such a marriage. It will last eternally. What could be more important to consider? So as it is written in Revelation 19:7; “Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready.”