Worthy Brief - 8/25/2025
Friend, the month of Elul -- a season of return!
Song of Solomon 6:3 I am my beloved's, And my beloved is mine. He feeds his flock among the lilies.
This begins a very special season on God's calendar -- the month of preparation before the Fall Feasts. The month of Elul is unique: it is the 12th month on the civil calendar and the 6th month on the prophetic/biblical calendar. Each day of Elul is marked by the blowing of the shofar, a trumpet call that awakens the soul. These daily blasts prepare our hearts for Yom Teruah (the Feast of Trumpets, Rosh Hashanah) and ultimately for Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement).
In Jewish tradition, there are two calendars that run side by side. The civil calendar begins in the fall with the month of Tishrei, making Elul the 12th month — the close of a yearly cycle. The prophetic or biblical calendar, however, begins in the spring with Nisan (the month of Passover), which makes Elul the 6th month — the number often associated with man and preparation. In this way, Elul stands at the crossroads of ending and beginning: the closing of one cycle and the preparation for the new.
This devotional is the first in a multi-part series on the significance of Elul -- its connection to repentance, the preparation of the Bride, and the mercy of God. In the weeks ahead, we'll take a deeper dive into each of these themes.
Even the very name Elul carries this meaning. In Hebrew, it is spelled Aleph-Lamed-Vav-Lamed (אלול), which the rabbis saw as an acronym for "Ani L'dodi v'dodi li" -- "I am my Beloved's, and my Beloved is mine" (Song of Songs 6:3). Elul, then, is not only a season of repentance, but of covenant intimacy -- a month where the Bride turns her heart toward the Bridegroom.
Historically, Elul is also tied to Moses' second 40 days on Mount Sinai after Israel's sin with the golden calf (Exodus 34). During that time, God revealed His mercy and renewed the covenant. That season of intercession and forgiveness has marked Elul ever since as a time of second chances and restored relationship with God.
Friend, so as we begin this biblical month, let us heed the sound of the shofar blast. It is a call to awaken from slumber, to return to the Lord, and to prepare our hearts for the days to come. The Bridegroom is preparing us to be spotless and without wrinkle. Let us enter this season with hearts set on intimacy with God, ready for His appearing, and asking for a fresh anointing to draw us ever closer as we seek His face.
Your family in the Lord with much agape love,
George, Baht Rivka, Elianna and Obadiah
(George, Baht Rivka & Obi - Baltimore, Maryland | Elianna - Married living in Missouri)
Dutch Teen’s Murder Sparks Outrage and Migration Debate (Worthy News In-Depth)
The murder of 17-year-old Lisa has shocked the Netherlands and reignited debate over migration policy after police confirmed that the 22-year-old suspect was an asylum seeker living in a government-run reception center.
Netherlands Ministers Resign Amid Crisis Over Gaza
The Netherlands was without a functioning full government Sunday after numerous ministers and state secretaries resigned amid tensions over the war in Gaza, a conflict that has shaken Dutch politics and unsettled the Jewish community.
Pentagon Secretly Restricts Ukraine’s Use of U.S. Long-Range Missiles, WSJ Reports
The Pentagon has for months been blocking Ukraine's use of U.S.-made long-range missiles to strike targets inside Russia, sharply limiting Kyiv's ability to employ one of its most powerful weapons against Moscow, according to an exclusive report by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ).
Trump Threatens New Sanctions On Russia As War Spreads Closer To Neighbors (Worthy News Radio)
U.S. President Donald J. Trump has threatened to impose new sanctions on Russia if relentless drone and missile strikes against Ukraine continue, as the war increasingly impacts neighboring countries, Hungary and Slovakia.
Air Raid Siren In Kyiv Interrupts NATO Chief’s Visit
An air raid siren sounded in Kyiv during NATO military alliance Secretary-General Mark Rutte’s unannounced visit, ironically while he discussed future security guarantees for wartorn Ukraine amid intensified Russian missile and drone attacks.
Hungary Condemns Ukraine For Attacking Oil Pipeline
Hungary reacted angrily after Ukraine struck a key pumping station on the Druzhba pipeline, cutting Russian oil supplies to Hungary and Slovakia, the only EU countries still receiving Russian crude.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Israel Strikes Houthi Targets in Sanaa After Cluster Missile Attack on Central Israel
The Israeli Air Force (IAF) on Sunday launched extensive airstrikes on Houthi-controlled Sanaa, Yemen, killing at least four people and wounding 67, in response to a ballistic missile attack on Israel two days earlier. The Houthis, an Iran-backed militia, have repeatedly targeted Israel with missiles and drones since late 2023.
Inside the United States
Judge Orders Halt to Florida’s ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ Migrant Detention Project
A federal judge on Thursday night ordered the Trump administration to halt expansion of its controversial immigrant detention center in the Florida Everglades, dubbed "Alligator Alcatraz," citing violations of environmental law and tribal access rights.
Powell Signals September Rate Cut as Fed Weighs Tariffs and Jobs Data
Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell on Friday signaled that long-awaited interest rate cuts could be on the horizon, telling central bankers that current conditions "may warrant" an adjustment to the Fed's restrictive policy stance.
FBI Raids John Bolton’s Maryland Home in Classified Documents Probe
FBI agents executed a search warrant Friday morning at the Maryland home of John Bolton, former national security adviser under President Donald Trump, as part of an investigation into his handling of classified documents, according to multiple media outlets.
Christian News
Pakistan Christians Fear Future After Killing And Church Attacks (Worthy News In-Depth)
Christians in Pakistan’s Punjab province were reeling Sunday from fresh threats by suspected Islamic extremists following the murder of a manual worker they said was killed for his faith in Christ.
Focus on the Family Founder Dobson Dies at 89
Dr. James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family, one of the most influential evangelical Christian organizations in the United States and worldwide, has died. He was 89.