Wednesday, August 11, 2010

TESHUVAH

ELUL 1

HaMelech Ba' Sade...."The King is in the fields".

The Forty Days of Teshuvah begin on Elul 1. The root word 'shoov' means 'return'. It combines both aspects of forgivness- turning from evil and turning to good.

We are to make restitution to those we have offended but REPENTANCE applies only to our transgressions committed to Elohim.

Psalm 27 is read each day......."The Lord is my light" refers to the Festval of Rosh HaShanah. "And my salvation" refers to Yom Kippur and vs.5.."He will hide me in tent" refers to the Feast of Sukkot-Tabernacles.

The seven days between Rosh HaShannah and Yom Kipper represent the seven years of Tribulation to come on earth. This is called "the Days of Awe" or "Time of Jacob's Trouble".

It is important to repent and return to YHVH BEFORE the time of Jacob's Trouble, so that we may be hidden in that day...Psalm 27:5.

It is said that within us we have Yetzer Tov ..the inclination to do good and Yetzer Rah..the inclination to do evil. I thought about this and it made me think about the Cherokee Tale about the two wolves...........



A Cherokee Legend...The Wolves Within

An old Grandfather said to his grandson, who came to him with anger at a friend who had done him an injustice, "Let me tell you a story.

I too, at times, have felt a great hate for those that have taken so much, with no sorrow for what they do.

But hate wears you down, and does not hurt your enemy. It is like taking poison and wishing your enemy would die. I have struggled with these feelings many times." He continued, "It is as if there are two wolves inside me. One is good and does no harm. He lives in harmony with all around him, and does not take offense when no offense was intended. He will only fight when it is right to do so, and in the right way. He is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith.

But the other wolf, ah! He is full of anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.. The littlest thing will set him into a fit of temper. He fights everyone, all the time, for no reason. He cannot think because his anger and hate are so great. It is helpless anger,for his anger will change nothing.

Sometimes, it is hard to live with these two wolves inside me, for both of them try to dominate my spirit."

The boy looked intently into his Grandfather's eyes and asked, "Which one wins, Grandfather?"

The Grandfather smiled and quietly said, "The one I feed."



Which one have you been feeding lately? It seems that for me my evil wolf....my Yatzer Rah....has been gorging..been a glutton..because I have chosen to allow it to happen but when we know that our choices are bad, that they are not beneficial to us, we have the ability to change...to seek a better way.

That feeling is from our Elohim..He is calling............
Do you feel Him calling you into a deeper place? It is our choice as to how we respond to Him. But in this season He is calling....Return....Teshuvah!

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