Shalom,

This week we begin the Torah reading cycle again with Bereshit—Genesis. As we return to the beginning, the very first words of Scripture give us a principle that can transform the way we live: “In the beginning God…” (Genesis 1:1). Before the heavens, before the earth, before light, before anything else—God. There is a spiritual principle here that reaches far beyond the creation account. Everything must begin with God. Our day must begin with God. Our decisions must begin with God. Our relationships, our plans, our words, and our actions must begin with God. Before asking, “What do I want?” we should ask, “Father, what do You want?” Before deciding which direction to take, we should seek the One who established the path.

This became very personal for my wife and me recently. The Holy Spirit used His Word to shine light upon an area of our lives where we had gotten off the path. When we saw what He was showing us, we both wept. There was genuine sorrow—not merely because we had made a mistake, but because we recognized that we had failed to walk according to what God had shown us. Paul describes this kind of sorrow when he writes, “For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of…” (2 Corinthians 7:10). That godly sorrow brought us to repentance, and repentance brought us back to obedience.

This is the heart of teshuvah. Teshuvah carries the idea of returning. Repentance is more than feeling sorry about something we have done. It is recognizing that we have departed from God's way, turning around, and returning to the path of obedience. This connects directly with what I shared in last week's Sabbath message about walking the Torah and living a life of teshuvah. The Psalmist declared, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105). What a beautiful picture this gives us. God shines the light of His Word upon His path, and the Holy Spirit allows us to see where our feet are. Sometimes that light reveals that our feet are no longer where they should be.

When that happens, what should we do? We make teshuvah. We turn. We place our feet back upon the path that His Word has illuminated, and then we begin walking in obedience again. For my wife and me, this was no longer merely something to teach; it became something we had to live. We saw what the Holy Spirit was showing us, we experienced godly sorrow, we repented, and we returned our feet to the path.

Then this morning, we forgot. We failed again in the very thing God had just dealt with us about. But instead of allowing that failure to keep us down, we repented again and returned to the path again. This is why Proverbs 24:16 is so important: “For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again.” Living a life of teshuvah does not mean that we never stumble. It means that when the light of God's Word reveals that we have stumbled or wandered from His path, we get back up and return. We do not remain where we fell. We rise again.

Perhaps that is one of the beautiful lessons contained in the Torah reading cycle itself. We come to the end of Torah, and then we return to Bereshit. We go back to the beginning. And when we arrive there, what are the first words waiting for us? “In the beginning God…” Perhaps that is where teshuvah must always bring us—back to God, back to His Word, back to His path, and back to obedience. When we discover that we have wandered, we do not need to remain lost. His Word provides the light that shows us where the path is, and the Holy Spirit shows us where our feet need to return.

This week, I encourage you to allow the Holy Spirit to take the light of God's Word and shine it upon your own path. As you read Scripture, do not read it merely to gain information. Allow the Word to examine your life. Ask yourself, “Did I begin this with God? Did I begin my day with Him? Did I make this decision with Him? Is this relationship being directed by Him? Are my words and actions consistent with the path His Word has illuminated?” When the Holy Spirit uses Scripture to reveal an area where your feet have wandered, do not run from the light. Allow godly sorrow to accomplish its work. Repent, turn, return, and place your feet back upon the path.

And if tomorrow you discover that you have wandered again, rise again. Make teshuvah again. Return again. This is what it means to live a life of teshuvah. We continually allow the Word of God to illuminate the path before us, and when necessary, we turn our feet back toward the way He has shown us.

As we begin the Torah cycle again, perhaps the greatest lesson we can carry with us is found in its very first words: “In the beginning God.” Let Him be the beginning of your day, the beginning of your decisions, the beginning of your relationships, and the beginning of every path you choose to walk. And whenever you discover that you have wandered, return to Him and begin again.

Shalom and blessings,

Pastor David Mattocks
Light of Yeshua Fellowship