If someone were to ask you your favorite month and what made it so special, what would you say? Maybe it would be your birthday month or your children’s birth months; it might even be the month you gave your life to Jesus!
We are now on the last month of the Jewish Calendar in a month called Elul. Elul is very special for several reasons. Elul is the month in which the Jewish people will take time to evaluate the last year. They think about what happened, and what changes need to be made for the upcoming new year. They spent more time reading and studying the Bible and spending time with God.
Many say that the month of Elul is when “the King is in the field”, referring to when the king would come out of his castle and spend time in the field so that the people would have opportunity to see him and talk with him. It was a time when the king was present.
Do you remember when Adam and Eve had sinned and they were hiding in Eden? God spoke and said “Where are You?” (Genesis 3) The King was in the field asking the question, not because He had lost His kids, but rather He wanted to know how their hearts were towards Him. He wanted them to take stock of what had happened and talk with them about how things needed to change. He asks that same thing of us today.
Three significant things happened during the month of Elul that are noted in the Bible: Jewish tradition holds that God created the world in the month of Elul. Moses received the 2nd set of commandments after the golden calf incident in the month of Elul. The walls around Jerusalem were rebuilt and completed during the month of Elul.
What stood out to me is that each of these events required the presence and the power of God.
We are soon approaching Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, which will be celebrated this year on October 2-4. As we look ahead to what God has in store, take some time to be with Jesus and ask Him about last year and what He wants to be different this next year. What needs to change? Ask Him to reveal what you learned or need to learn from all that you experienced. And begin even now to anticipate a new year and all God has for us as His beloved!!!
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