ELUL - Day 5

Thursday, August 28, 2025

During the Month of Elul

During the Month of Elul, we read Psalm 27 in the morning and evening.

Psalm 27
The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell.
Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.
One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple.
For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.
And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the Lord.
Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice: have mercy also upon me, and answer me.
When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, Lord, will I seek.
Hide not thy face far from me; put not thy servant away in anger: thou hast been my help; leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation.
When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up.
Teach me thy way, O Lord, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies.
Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty.
I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.
Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.

More Treasures from the Psalms During Elul

Also, a great habit to get into is to read 3 Psalms a day. So on the first day read Psalms 1-3, the 2nd day, read Psalms 4-6 and so forth. You may find some incredible treasures as you do this as it seems that each cluster of 3 Psalms has a theme and the themes seem to go smoothly from one to the next. As you read these, you will have some wonderful ideas to meditate on. May this become a wonderful habit. HAPPY TREASURE HUNTING!

We All Need a Good Friend!

During Elul we work on these qualities:
It is good to laugh while we work on becoming more like Yeshua!
Have a joyful day walking with the King!!

Psalm 16:11
You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy!

10th of Elul, 5785

Elul - Day 10

Give yourself the gift of time as you work on teshuva and becoming a better Believer. You may find that as you slow down, you pray more and read your Bible more. What a precious gift that comes with just a small amount of time.

• Take a peaceful walk and enjoy the beauty of the Creation that the Lord made for us.
• Smell the roses along the way. Notice all the shapes and sizes of leaves and flowers—and the colors which are spectacular.
• Eat more slowly. Enjoy the taste of the food.
• Limit texting and social media. You will save so much time.
• Meditate on what you read in the Bible.
• Enjoy your work.
• Enjoy the time you have in a day!

Fill each moment with purpose. Leave the stress behind.

James 4:14 — 'Whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.'

Day 4 - Elul - Yom Dalet

Day 4 - Elul - Yom Dalet

The Hebrew word for '4' is dalet, which also means door. Yeshua called Himself the door. To find redemption (selichot) we have to go through the door. There is no other way.

John 10:9-10
'I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.'

How wonderful it is to know that the door is open—
That abundant life is waiting...

His arms are open to us as we seek Him and seek forgiveness.

His strength is available to us; to enable us to do better,
to love with a more pure heart,
to see good in others and not just find fault.

May this be the day that we begin to seek His face.
May this be the day that we begin to see life and others through His eyes.

Run to the Door - He is waiting.

Elul - Day 11: Patience

Elul - Day 11: Patience

Patience is one of those things that can be difficult to cultivate. In our day, everybody is in a hurry, and at the same time, we know the Lord wants us to slow down and develop patience.

Is it possible to have patience when I am late, and I need that car in front of me to move to the slow lane?

• Patience is slowing down.
• Patience is allowing the other person to go in front of me when I am late.

Why is that so difficult? We just need patience.

It's a big deal to realize that we don't actually have control of much in our world today. But we are able to control our own attitudes.

So we begin to appreciate life. Focus on the good things in front of you right now. Laugh, buy an ice cream cone for a stranger and watch what happens. Give of yourself. Appreciation for the amazing world God made takes time…

Patience gives you more time to appreciate life.

Every day we want to look back and say, 'How did I do today?' If we are patient, more often than not, it will help us respond that we did pretty well.

Patience is an acquired skill—one worth pursuing!

Ephesians 4:2 — 'Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.'

Elul - Day 3 - Yom Gimmel

To have success in the journey we take during Elul, we all need a new beginning - a fresh start. We want to be like a sweet new-born baby. No sins are held against us. His Spirit has been born in us - we now have power to overcome, and we are new.

The word shofar contains within it the word 'shofir'. Shofir is like amniotic fluid which protects the developing baby during the 9 months of pregnancy. During Elul, we blow the shofar pointing up to proclaim to heaven, We are ready to be born again. We want to be re-born, revived and resurrected. We are ready for the amniotic fluid to gush forth.

The sound of the trumpet is calling us to be born again.
Start on a new path.
Begin each new day knowing that you are a new creation.
If the enemy reminds you of sin, you can overcome - you are not tethered to sin any longer.
You overcome depression by the power of His Spirit in you!
You overcome unfruitful desires by the power of His Spirit! You now have the power to overcome any sin!

You are on a new path.
You are a new creation.

Prayer for Today:
Please wipe out my wickedness like a cloud. Please wipe out my wickedness like a cloud and forgive my sins, for they are great. Return the remnant of a shadowed people and send a messenger (of good news) to Inform them of the covenants that will take place after the end of the age, and they sha ll be conformed even if they don't understand.

Psalm 119:104-105 I gain understanding from Your precepts; therefore, I hate every false way. Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

ELUL - Day 8

Elul - Day 8

Above Nature

Eight is a very unique number. In 7 days HaShem created the heavens and the earth—all nature had been created. Now day 8 comes... it is a day above nature.

On day 8 we think about the Hebrew word 'Tamim'.

Tamim is innocence and completeness.
Tamim is a very high level of service to HaShem.
It is a high level of purity.

How do we get to this level of purity? With another Hebrew term: Pashtut, which means simplicity.

We run from philosophy and vain deceit—things that cause us to be like the world.
We run from deceit and from being condescending.
We are simple in love.
We don't look for evil.
We become pure like a child.

Purity and simplicity make you higher than the wise.

REJOICE—just do it as a child running to the Father.
Don't try to give all the philosophical reasons that you have NOT to rejoice...
Just do it in purity.

Philippians 2:14-15
Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, 'children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.' Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky.

Elul - The King is in the Field - Day 2

Day 2 Elul - The King is in the Field

The slichot (prayer) today is from pages 28-29 in Rabbi Shapira's book 100 Gates; 100 Shofars. And we pray:

Out of Prison

Pay attention to him who wanders from his nest, and arouse his sleepy eye, he will wake up in the middle of the night.

Because of the shame of his faults, for him, his tears were his bread day and night,

And when he is pushed aside in his imprisonment and persecuted from mountain to hill, under heat in the day and ice in the night.

Enemies suppressing me, they gather to conspire against me, and they keep doing this all night long. My prayer will come before you, Adonai the God of my salvation — all day I cry out until the night.

Maybe on your list of spiritual improvements you want to make is to return to the Lord.

Even if you feel very far from Yeshua — Now is the time to press into Him, to Return, to Renew your close personal relationship with Him. It is time to hear His voice again. It is time to talk with Him again.

In Elul His presence is especially near — He is accessible.

The barriers are removed with the sound of the shofar.

He's calling you, saying, 'Return to Me, and I will return to you.'

Come out to meet the King!

• Leave bitterness

• Leave unforgiveness

• Leave sorrow and past hardships

We 'get out of prison' when we wake up to His Love and Shalom,

And COME WITH JOY into His Presence!!

Elul Day 12 - Prepare Your Heart for Teshuva

Elul Day 12 - Prepare Your Heart for Teshuva

Teshuva points to what will happen in the future because you are changing your past behavior.

Amos 4:12
'Prepare yourself to meet the Lord.'

Imagine getting ready to meet the Lord. This is what we are doing when we do teshuva.

Psalm 4:12
'Prepare to meet your God, Oh Israel.'

So much of our lives is about preparation:

• We prepare to eat every day.
• We go to the store and buy groceries.
• We prepare the food we buy and set the table.
• We serve our well-prepared food; we place the food on platters, put it on the table... and then we eat.

Preparation is a process.

Each day we have a new beginning, and His mercies are new every morning.

It is as though He has given us mercy each day to prepare to meet Him.

And we begin the process:

• We change one thing today that will cause us to be prepared to meet Him.
• We pray. We rejoice in who He is and in His goodness to us.
• We remember all that He has given us.
• We commit our wills to Him, even as living sacrifices.
• We begin our work with joy and thanksgiving.
• All day long we keep preparing our hearts to do good and to live in His righteousness.

Psalm 4:12
'Prepare to meet your God, Oh Israel.'

Elul Day 14 - Murmuring or Praise

Elul Day 14 - Murmuring or Praise

As humans, it is easy to murmur — we naturally find things that are imperfect, difficult, or not to our liking. The Children of Israel murmured on more than one occasion. How did that work for them?

Exodus 16:2-3
Then the whole congregation of the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. And the children of Israel said to them, 'Oh, that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat and when we ate bread to the full! For you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.'

Later, the spies returned with a bad report about the giants in the land. The people believed their report — and they all died in the wilderness.

Words of murmuring and complaint brought literal death.

But we are to be a people of praise to our God. Murmuring brings death. Praise brings life.

Psalm 34:1
I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

Proverbs 18:21a
Life and death are in the power of the tongue...

Our words are serious. They literally create. Words change atmospheres!

We are created in the image of God — and God spoke, and the world was created.

We can look out the window and see the power of the spoken word.

May our words be of praise and thanksgiving.
May they create life in all who hear them.

I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth!

Elul Day 15 - Who, Me Be Irritated with Others?

Elul Day 15 - Who, Me Be Irritated with Others? What About Perfect Love?

No one escapes irritation! It's waiting around every corner:

• Repeating instructions to children who seem not to hear.
• Listening to a politician whose words make your skin crawl.
• Being tailgated with no lane to merge into.
• Watching parents ignore out-of-control children in public places.

And the list goes on. But now imagine the irritation the Lord could have with us — yet He still died for us.

How do we overcome irritation and embody perfect love like He does?

There is a cost to perfect love, because perfect love is:

• Patient
• Kind
• Not Envious
• Not Boastful
• Not Proud
• Does Not Dishonor Others
• Not Self-Seeking
• Not Easily Angered
• Does Not Keep Record of Wrongs
• Does Not Delight in Evil
• Rejoices in Truth
• Always Protects, Trusts, Hopes, and Perseveres

(from 1 Corinthians 13:4-7)

If we apply each of these qualities to our moments of irritation, love will grow in our lives.

We have the choice to be like our Messiah and dress ourselves in His perfect love.

We can begin today.

Elul Day 16 - Do You Have Shalom? Are You Content?

Elul Day 16 - Do You Have Shalom? Are You Content?

What is Shalom, and how is it different from Contentment?

Shalom is far more than peace. True shalom means wholeness or completeness in all areas of life:

• Natural needs are met.
• We are using our gifts fruitfully.
• We are completely complete, lacking nothing.
• Shalom is the presence of complete peace.

Contentment, on the other hand, is being at peace even when problems exist. If we are only content when problems disappear, we'll return to discontentment when they return.

To live in true contentment, we must treat both trouble and freedom from trouble the same way — with trust.

John 16:33
'These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.'

Prayer:

Father of all shalom and contentment,

Help us remember that through the tribulations and troubles of this life, You are creating good for us.

Give us courage to rest in You in times of trouble.

As we live in this real and troubled world, help Your children show the world how we find shalom and contentment in You — and You alone.

Amen.

Today we can be overcomers!

Elul Day 17 - Retaliation or Good for Evil?

Elul Day 17 - Retaliation or Good for Evil?

Romans 12:19
'Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: 'It is mine to avenge; I will repay,' says the Lord.'

If we choose to retaliate against those who harm us, we are actually stealing from God — because vengeance belongs to Him. Taking it into our own hands is stepping into His role, and that never ends well.

It's natural to want to get even. But we are not called to live naturally — we are called to live supernaturally.

1 Corinthians 2:14
'But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.'

Depending on the Spirit of the Lord is the only way to lay down the desire to retaliate and let Him handle justice.

• Forgive the perpetrator(s).
• Remember: we have all hurt someone.
• Consider Joseph — he had every reason and power to retaliate, but he didn't.

Genesis 50:20
'You meant evil against me, but God intended it for good.'

This is the key: God is working in all our lives. He will bring good if we allow Him to work.

1 Peter 3:9
'Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.'

Only our great God can turn evil into a blessing. Let Him own retaliation.

Elul Day 18 - Self-Control

Elul Day 18 - Self-Control

Without self-control, who would you be? How would you behave and handle life?

Everyone needs self-control, and it doesn't come without discipline in any area of life.

• We need it to communicate with kindness when we feel like exploding.
• We need it to stay healthy — even when chocolate calls our name.
• We need it to save money or give generously instead of spending impulsively.
• We need it to delay short-term gratification and pursue long-term good.

Self-control is really just being responsible and propelling ourselves — and others — toward good.

Poor choices made in haste lead to regret. But self-control leads to difficult goals and deep satisfaction.

We are competing for an eternal prize! Self-control is the fuel that gets us there.

1 Corinthians 9:25-27
'Everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown.
Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air.
But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.'

Today: Let self-control be your strength. Let it shape your choices, your words, and your witness.

Elul Day 19 - Anger

Elul Day 19 - Anger

What motivates you to anger?

• Waste and abuse?
• Lies told as absolute truth?
• People getting hurt or killed for no reason?

These stir righteous anger because we value justice, truth, and life. But James asks us to look deeper:

James 4:1-3
'Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.'

James tells us clearly: anger often comes from wanting our own way.

To rid ourselves of anger, we must change our minds and want what the Lord wants.

Practice: Stop and pray before you speak or act when anger rises.

Ephesians 4:26
'Be angry and sin not.'

John 14:27a
'Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you.'

Prayer:
Lord, we ask for Your Spirit to intervene when anger rises in us. Give us Your calm and patient heart. Help us put on Your shalom and focus our hearts on Your kingdom. Teach us to be angry and sin not. Amen.

Elul Day 20 - Gossip

Elul Day 20 - Gossip

Words are so powerful that the Lord used them to create the universe. They shape identity, influence behavior, and impact both physical and mental well-being.

When our words become gossip, they damage reputations, erode trust, and fracture relationships. If you've ever been the subject of gossip, you know how deeply it wounds.

Ohr HaChaim teaches that our mouths are spiritual vessels — funnels meant for holy use.

Gossip is a severe sin that releases harm difficult to undo.

The Talmud teaches that gossip harms three people:

• The speaker
• The listener
• The subject

Even Miriam, who spoke against her brother Moses, was struck with leprosy — a visible sign of the spiritual damage caused by gossip.

Ephesians 4:29
'Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.'

Proverbs 18:8
'The words of a talebearer are like tasty morsels, and they go down into the inmost body.'

Today: May our words bring light and righteousness into the atmosphere. Let us reject the tasty morsels of gossip and speak only what builds up.

Elul Day 21 - Order

Elul Day 21 - Order

Today we examine the order — or disorder — with which we live our lives. Does order really matter?

Since we are created in the image of God, and He did everything in order, it absolutely does.

Some of us thrive in order. For example, I can't even prepare a meal if there are dishes on the counter. Maybe I take order too far, but I seem to do my best when things are in order.

Why Like Order?

• Time is used more efficiently when there is order.
• Life is made up of time, so an ordered life accomplishes more.
• Order makes room for peace.
• Order nurtures charity and love in our hearts.
• Order makes way for the growth of other virtues in our lives.
• Order affects our thoughts, attitudes, motivations, and desires.

1 Corinthians 14:40
'Let all things be done decently and in order.'

Proverbs 16:9
'A man's heart plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps.'

Today: We plan for order in our lives, always asking the Lord to be the absolute director.

Elul Day 22 - Tolerance

Elul Day 22 - Tolerance

Have you ever noticed how sin looks worse when other people are doing the sinning?

We tolerate our own sins. We make excuses for them. After all, we understand why we get impatient and say unkind words. Sometimes we even pat ourselves on the back for bad behavior — for sin.

Titus 3:2
'To speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people.'

The day we actually see and identify our bad habits is the day we stop tolerating them. That's when growth begins.

How do we begin to see our own sin clearly?

• Be honest with ourselves.
• Challenge the excuses that justify our behavior.
• Stop telling ourselves that the other person deserved it.
• Choose peace.
• Plan a constructive response.
• Smile — you will make progress!

2 Thessalonians 3:16
'Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled.'

Elul Day 23 - Why?

Elul Day 23 - Why?

Why am I doing this?

Why am I trying so hard to improve spiritually?

Be encouraged. You're doing this because you love the Lord. Because your heart tells you this is right. Because you want to move in the direction of righteousness.

We all need to improve. And the great news is this:

When we strive toward righteousness, the Lord sees us as righteous.

Proverbs 21:21
'Whoever pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity and honor.'

Proverbs tells us why we keep trying. It's not just about effort — it's about love, life, and the honor that comes from walking in God's ways.

Elul Day 24 - Mindfulness

Elul Day 24 - Mindfulness

Mindfulness is more than awareness — it's intentional presence. It's choosing to notice what God is doing in the moment, rather than rushing past it.

During Elul, mindfulness helps us:

• Recognize patterns that need repentance.
• Notice blessings we've overlooked.
• Listen more deeply to others and to the Spirit.
• Respond with grace instead of reacting in haste.

Psalm 46:10
'Be still, and know that I am God.'

Stillness is not inactivity — it's sacred attentiveness. It's the posture of a heart that waits, watches, and welcomes God's voice.

Today: Practice mindfulness in one area — your speech, your thoughts, your surroundings. Invite God into that space and listen for His whisper.

Prayer:
Lord, slow me down. Help me notice Your presence in the ordinary. Teach me to be mindful of Your movement, Your mercy, and Your message. May my awareness lead to worship. Amen.

ELUL DAY 6 - Victory

Elul Day 6 - Victory

Are you ready for victory? Of course, we love to be victorious. This month, we concentrate on victory over our own desires to do things our own way — yetzer ha'rah in Hebrew.

We war against the yetzer ha'rah — the fleshly desire — that is within us even after we believe. But take courage, friends: we have not been left helpless.

Philippians 4:13
'I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.'

We get our strength through the power of the Holy Spirit — the very same Spirit who helped Yeshua overcome death!

John 14:16
'And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, to be with you forever.'

Victory is ours through the power of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.

• The Spirit reminds us immediately what is good and what we should run from.
• The Spirit gives us victory over the yetzer ha'rah.
• Victory comes in listening to (obeying) the Spirit of truth, and not being drawn into the lies of today.

Isaiah 61:10
'I will rejoice greatly in the LORD, my soul will exult in my God; for He has clothed me with garments of salvation and wrapped me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom wears a priestly headdress, as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.'

He has created us to be the victorious Bride!

Psalm 149:4
'For the LORD takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with victory.'