Elul: “Returning” to the Father

The month of Elul has begun—August 14 through September 11, 2026—a sacred season of preparation for the High Holy Days, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. In an age marked by anger, division, and relentless tension, Elul gently calls us to look inward.

Teshuvah: “Returning”

To “look inward” is to engage in teshuvah—the Hebrew word for repentance, a turning of the heart, a change of mind, a “return.” It is a return to God, to our convictions, to the moral compass He has placed within us. Teshuvah invites us to return to the person we are capable of becoming – finding the purpose God desires to fulfill in our lives.

Jesus in the Desert

Jewish tradition teaches that the month of Elul is a time of searching, testing, and spiritual realignment. It was during this very season that Jesus, after His baptism, entered the desert for forty-days. Like the prophets before Him, He was tested. He is our prophet, priest, and king.

And when He “returned” from the desert, His first proclamation was:

“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17, NASB).

His call to repentance – teshuva, to “return” – marked the beginning of the High Holy Days—a divine summons to return, to realign, to awaken from inconsistency and slumber.

(For deeper study, see Mystery of the Seventh Month, Leviticus 23:23–44.)

Elul’s Questions for the Soul:

• What can I correct?
• What can I restore?
• What can I do differently?
• What does God desire of me?
• How can I “return” to Him?

Elul is not about being shamed; it is about “returning” to the Father – “So he returned home to his father” (Luke 15:20, NLT). It is about rediscovering the God who welcomes us back with mercy, clarity, and purpose.

A Blessing for the Journey

As you walk through this season of reflection, may God bless you with courage to look inward, humility to return, and strength to follow His direction as you journey through the desert places of life.

Shalom and Blessings,

Dr. Jeff

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