I am home now—what an amazing opportunity to visit this historically critical land, to walk down the streets where Jesus walked and see the hillsides where he taught. 

To be honest, I am finding it quite difficult to write—how can I possibly capture on paper the dynamic historical records that the mountains and valleys, the rivers and seas, the wine and olive presses, the mosaics, and the ancient ruins hold?  How can I possibly write the message that the stones cry out?  The task is too big for me!  However, many of us have the record of life and death, of civilizations and cultures, of tyrants and slaves on the bookshelves of our homes—the Scriptures dictated by the Spirit of God and preserved through the ages by the hand of God.

Visiting the countries of Israel and Jordan added an amazing depth to what I have read in God’s Word—seeing the mountains of Moab, the wilderness of Zin, the valley where David fought Goliath, Nazareth, where Jesus grew up (to name just a few of the places where we stopped)—adding dimension and color to the black and white pages of my Bible.

We visited a church in Jerusalem (Narkis Street Congregation) and I know in one of my upcoming posts, I will share a bit about the message that was taught that day.  However, a comment someone made to me when we were there resonated in my heart.  I think I might have written in my last blog that my children paid for my trip, that there was no way that I could afford to make this journey.  This person I was talking to mentioned that they have seen it, time and again, where it was financially impossible for someone to come to Israel, yet God made a way—He has opened up the doors for many people to visit the Holy Land.

And one time, when we were visiting the shop of an Orthodox Jew in old Jerusalem, the shop owner made the comment, “People don’t choose to come to Israel, God calls them!”  I have to agree.

I’ve had to reevaluate the word “blessing” – I think that I have over-used it and under-appreciated the significance of being blessed by God.  On this journey, visiting Israel and Jordan, we were not specifically on a sight-seeing tour; rather, our group was immersed in scripture, climbing through the wilderness, in a boat on the sea of Galilee in (mildly) stormy weather, visiting ancient ruins, walking through the streets of old Jerusalem, seeing significant places from the life and ministry of Jesus, all the while experiencing in-depth teaching to enhance our understanding of long-ago civilizations—recognizing that some things don’t really change no matter how much time goes by—I can say with passion that this trip was a blessing beyond anything I have ever considered a blessing!

Here are some significant scriptural blessings:

“Now the Lord had said to Abram: ‘Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you.  I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing.  I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 12:1-3).

When God tested Abraham, telling him to sacrifice his son Isaac, Abraham obeyed, beginning the long journey to Mount Moriah, and keeping his eyes on God.  This was God’s response to Abraham’s obedience: “‘Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.’…Then the Angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time out of heaven, and said: ‘By Myself I have sworn, says the Lord, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son—blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies.  In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.’” (Genesis 22:12, 15-18).

In Abraham, all the families [peoples] of the earth are blessed; and in Abraham’s Seed all of the nations of the earth are blessed because of his obedience— “to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made.  He does not say, ‘And to seeds,’ as of many, but as of one, ‘And to your Seed,’ who is Christ” (Galatians 3:16). 

Although I am a Gentile, I am included in the blessings God made to Abraham through his Seed, Jesus Christ—because, by faith, I received Jesus as my Lord and Savior, He gave me the right to become a child of God.

I am so blessed!  

 “For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.  And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: ‘The Deliverer will come out of Zion, and He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; For this is My covenant with them, when I take away their sins.’

“Concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers.  For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable….

“Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!  How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! …For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever.  Amen.”

(Romans 11:25-29, 33, 36)