Elul 4: God’s Love
I often liken our lives to a highway. There are sign posts and billboards of God’s love as we travel along the highway of our lives. The question is: do we
see these signs? Generally, we don’t miss His billboard love messages, because those are His flamboyant miracles. (A dramatic healing! A financial miracle! Or, what happened to Don & me yesterday, at the last moment, we swerved and the Lord protected us from a head-on collision.) However, when we are too busy, we can easily miss the smaller sign posts of His love. (That unexpected compliment from our friend; or that helpful attitude of someone at a store.)
Love is our focus as we are begin the 4th and final week of the month of Elul, the month of our preparation for God’s High Holy Days. God’s love for us – and our love for Him! Yes, He loved us on Calvary, but it didn’t stop there! He continues showing us His love every day.
Baruch haShem Adonai! (Blessed be the Name of the LORD)
Our Heavenly Father knows every hair on our heads, or the lack thereof. In spite of knowing that we would fail Him (& ourselves) many times, He has chosen us! Think about this: the King of the Universe, the Creator of all loves us!!! Pretty amazing; I don’t know how many of us would actually choose ourselves, especially fore-knowing all the foibles we would have. But His Word tells us that “Heso loved the world that He sent His ONLY begotten son …[we] shall have eternal life.” John 3:16, NASB.
Three times He instructs us to love the Him with all our hearts: “you are to love Adonai your God with all your heart, all your being and all your resources,” Deut 6:5, Complete Jewish Bible. Note: this command is not only in the Tanach (Old Testament) but also in the B’rit Chadashah (New Testament). Yeshua (Jesus) quoted this command in Matt 22:37 and in Luke 10:27, He acknowledged that His followers are to heed the instruction of ‘loving the Lord’.
Baruch HaShem Adonai beautifully expresses our heart’s desire. As you listen to this song, meditate on how our loving Lord chose “us”!
Take a moment and ponder His love. How has He shown you His love during this month of Elul?
1. Have there been miniscule signs of families’ and marriages’ coming together?
2. Children growing in spiritual maturity and others desiring to learn more?
3. God’s nudging us to let go of past issues?
4. Favor at work?
5. God’s provision & financial miracles?
6. Physical healings?
7. Peace and strength during trying times?
8. Restoration of joy in our hearts?
9. How are you different today than you were 3 weeks ago?
Assignment: email or text me 2 ways you have seen HaShem show you His love.
Prayer:
“Lord, thank You for these days of spiritual and emotional preparation for Your appointed times, Your festivals, Your Holy Days. Help us to slow down so we can see You!! Bless You, our Lord and Saviour!! We love You! Help us to reflect You to those with whom we come in contact. Bring Your peace and safety to Jerusalem, to Israel, to Your people. Protect the persecuted Christians in the Middle East. Bring Believers across their paths – open their hearts to You. Turn Americans to You. We love You, Lord, B’shem Yeshua, Amen”
