He browses among the lilies.
Blessings in the new month of Elul! （though already as I am posting this we are already well into the month and almost the full moon!!)
The sixth month on the Hebrew calendar is a time of repentance and return to God, a time of preparation to meet our Messiah and crown Him as King, in anticipation of the Fall Feasts of Yom Teruah and Yom Kippur, culminating with tabernacling with Him, as One with each other at the Feast of Sukkot!
Also in this month it is said to be a time of drawing near to the beloved and a time when `the King is in the Fields`. The verse above from Song of Songs is also associated with Elul. *
* The 4 letters from the first letter of each word of the verse, spell out the word ELUL in the Hebrew!
I find that in this month the LORD speaks to me in intimate ways and even shows how He is hearing my heart and bringing things to pass in a way that is very .... Elul!
That`s the only way I can describe it! So let me give it a go with the Elul Story about the Shabbat Flowers!
Since I returned to celebrating the Shabbat, here in Japan, I always love to buy flowers on Friday afternoons to welcome the Shabbat. The joy of walking home with flowers through the city is a great delight. I experience it as a wonderful time, bathed in His love, like a child excited to give flowers to her Daddy or a wife to her husband on their special day. Yeshua says keep My commandments, abide in My love, and make my joy complete!
So on with the story,
When I buy flowers on Friday afternoons, I also try to picture how it must be in Israel, the women scurrying to do their shopping and greeting one another with their bouquets on their way to their homes for Shabbat. This picture of the city filled with joy for Shabbat and for honoring the beloved Yeshua, the LORD of Shabbat, bubbles up in my heart with joy!! I have longed for my city that we would honor God`s Shabbat and the women would be out on the streets like that on Friday afternoon, doing their shopping to make a special meal for the family, and in the flower shop greeting each other with, Shabbat Shalom! In Japanese,
シャバット・シャローム！
I have been going to the same flower shop that is close to where I live, and have developed a friendly relationship with them. Over the years have shared a little about Shabbat with he staff since they always see me on Friday, a few have asked about that!
Recently God has opened a door and answered a prayer to share about Shabbat in the local church. They are a small congregation who loves Israel and has become interested in returning to do the things of God and connecting to our Jewish root in the faith, as `one new man` in Messiah.
We had our first Shabbat last month, and already the second one this past Shabbat which was also the beginning of the month of Elul.
This church is right down the street from the flower shop where I buy flowers, so I was excited both times to order a `delivery` of Shabbat flowers to the church to have for our Shabbat to honor the LORD and make a beautiful table for our celebration.
The first time when I placed the order I asked if they could write `Shabbat Shalom` in Japanese on the card. And they did.
Then when I came again the next time I once again asked if they could write the same message.
When I came into the flower shop later that afternoon, I saw the arrangement was in the glass case, and the words `Shabbat Shalom` on the message card filled my heart with joy!!
It was like a first `drop` from Heaven of the glimmer of the vision of the Shabbat being honored in Japan! ( I shared a little about this vision of Shabbat in Japan in an early post HERE). And more than that, it is the LORD of Shabbat, Yeshua, being honored in Japan when we observe Shabbat we say clearly that we are giving honor and praise and glory to the God of the Bible, the God of Creation, the God of Israel who invites us all to be a part of His glorious Kingdom through Messiah Yeshua!!
Glory to His Name!! Oh LORD how we pray for all the nations to know you, the Holy One, and the Maker of Heaven and Earth, Saviour of all the world..., maybe it will be one Shabbat bouquet at a time!!
Hence I call it an Elul story, as it takes place in this month of repentance and return! A month when `the King is in the fields` and where we seek the face of the beloved from the `fields` where we are and may He meet us here!
With love to all and to all be God`s Love!!❤️
Love, Shayndel
He has brought me to the banquet house
and his banner over me is love.
Song of Songs 2:4
pS i just found the post where I first had the prayer/vision about Shabbat in Japan, amazingly it was 6 years ago!! Thank you LORD for hearing my prayer and bringing such encouragement in this Elul!! I pray for multiplication and seeing it come about more and more by the power of Your Ruach Ha Chodesh, even to be a revival of the Shabbat Shalom ・Teshuvah kind!!
Quoting from the post, this line below:
I am so excited for when the people of Japan will know ADONAI and will celebrate the Shabbat, and on Friday afternoons people will greet each other in the town with シャバット・シャローム ,
Shabbat Shalom! As they scurry to buy food and flowers and prepare for Shabbat!
