Let Faith Arise in Av

The infamous month of Av (5th month on the Hebrew calendar) begins tomorrow.  Israel's sin of unbelief, lack of trust and rebellion against God set into motion a string of calamities that occur year after year.  Here is how it is described in Deuteronomy 9:23.   "And when the Lord sent you out from Kadesh Barnea, he said, 'Go up and take possession of the land I have given you.'  But you rebelled against the command of the Lord your God.  You did not trust or obey Him."
 
It was at Kadesh Barnea that God made it clear that He would give the Promised Land to the Israelites. Ten of 12 men came back with a bad report, refusing to believe the truth of what God said.  As a result, the children of Israel were doomed to wander in the wilderness for 40 years.  In addition, the cycle of destruction in the lives of the Jewish people has repeated itself.  Chuck Pierce says, "When you don't repent of the sins of the past, Satan is free to bring the curse of that sin back around to you."  The ramifications that come from unbelief and lack of trust in God are dire.
 
Historians have pinpointed the day of Israel's sin on the 9th of Av.  This day is notorious for the destructive events that have occurred on it.  Here are a few of them:  Babylon destroyed the 1st temple (587 BC), Romans destroyed the second temple (AD 70), Jews were totally defeated by Rome (AD 135), 1st Crusade launched that kills thousands of Jews (AD 1095), Jews expelled from England (AD 1290), Jews expelled from Spain (AD 1492), Jews deported from Warsaw ghetto to concentration camps (AD 1942), and Jews removed from Gaza (AD 2005)
 
We need to be aware of the history of this time period and how it can affect our own lives.  There are two voices in our heads--the voice of faith and the voice of unbelief.  We have choices.  We can break the curse of the enemy through repentance of the sin of unbelief.  As we choose to believe God's promises we can receive God's blessings.  As children of God we are grafted into the covenant of Abraham.  For Believers the sinful patterns of the covenant are under the blood of Jesus.  He has reconciled all things through the Cross.  However, our enemy tries to activate these patterns so that they manifest and give him legal rights to operate in our lives.
 
Who are we agreeing with?  Despite what appears to be happening around us, we must be intentional in operating in faith.  We must not allow the enemy of our souls to bring us into alignment with him. Our confession must be that God is faithful and that we trust in Him alone.  Our lives are impacted by who we agree with (make an alliance with).  The decisions we make today have the potential to impact our lives for years to come.  We must be careful with what we say and who we make alliances with. Let's give the Lord permission to guide our lives.  
 
Av is associated with the Hebrew letter TET which is a picture of a womb.  What are we conceiving?  Are we bringing heaven to earth?  This month is also associated with the constellation of Leo, the lion.  God calls us to be a prophetic people that let the sound/roar of the Lion of Judah resound.  Let the promises of God and our trust in Him be declared in a sound that the world will hear.  Make your alliance with the One True God and your confession the ROAR of the Lion of Judah. “…See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed…” (Revelation 5:5)