It is not happenstance that the “Ten Days of Awe” are now (Today, Sept. 14 is Day 5). In G-D’s time clock, everything is perfect. We just came out of Yom Teruah (Rosh Hashanah), a time of hearing the trumpet blast, a time of hearing the shofar blown, a time that reminds us that the Lord of this Universe, the King of Kings is soon to return. And now we are in the “Ten Days of Awe,”  a time when we are praying and seeking the face of G-D and repenting of our sins, for our nation, for Israel, for the Body of Messiah, making amends with those we have harmed.

During these “Ten Days,” we have been in early morning prayer. Several intercessors were on the line praying and interceding, leading up to the Holiest Day of the Year — Yom Kippur (September 18-19). It just reminds me that this is the season where the things that are happening in the earth —Hurricane Florence barreling toward the East Coast,  a couple more hurricanes brewing on the Atlantic, and wildfires in various places — are times when God calls us to reflection.

Where will we be and what will we be doing when we hear that LAST shofar? There will be no other shofar blast after that one, and the Lord has set aside a day where we would, could, hear the blasting, the sounding — in preparation for the final one! I know that we may get excited about hearing that final blast, about being with the One our souls long for (I’m excited), but remember there were 10 virgins: five of them were wise and five of them were foolish! They ALL heard the alarm: “The bridegroom is here! Come out to meet him!” That is the sound of the shofar that announces the coming of the Bridegroom! They all heard it, but not all of them were prepared. I believe that the “Ten Days of Awe” only build our excitement for that LAST shofar, but it also should trigger within us a desire that we would help the five foolish virgins to acquire the extra oil that they need NOW, because that’s the one time the five wise are not encouraged to share. (I will need my own oil!) Let’s help all of G-D’s people to be awakened and prepared for that sound and ready to meet the Bridegroom and to go in to the wedding Feast!  I’m excited!

I want to hear the sound! I am storing up treasures in heaven, and having oil in reserve, but I am concerned about my brother!  Does that mean I want to prolong the day of my Bridegroom’s coming? No, I do not! I want to hasten it because in hastening the day of His coming, He empowers us; He gives us the grace to be able to pray and intercede and to witness and to evangelize and to reach out, and to give to those who are not ready to hear that sound.

So these natural things that are going on in the earth are all connected to the spiritual; they’re all times of awakening. They’re all times of calling the Body of Messiah to wakefulness! That we will not be sleeping! That the Doppler Radar that summons us to attention about the impending hurricane is like the voice of the shofar that warns us about the impending return of Messiah Yeshua! So instead of just grabbing and storing up bread, water, gas, potato chips, nuts, snacks, etc… let’s grab hold to and dispense the commodities of the Kingdom: love, kindness, gentleness, selflessness, humility, mercy, etc…!

The earth is yawning! It is in birthpangs! This is not the way it was created to be! It wants to return to its original state as it was in the Garden, and if the world is yawning, WE ARE ALSO, and deep down our bodies are saying, “I want that place of transparency and vulnerability that Adam and Eve had when they were in the Garden with the One who created them. I want what I am supposed to be! And I want it in its fullness!”
Even so, come Messiah Yeshua! Let the Shofar Blow!