Have you ever wondered what it would have been like to live back in the day of Moses or Jesus? Besides thinking it would be hard to not shower or to wear cute shoes in the sand, imagine if we could be back in Egypt as God showed His power and might through the plagues. Imagine witnessing the parting of the Red Sea, and fleeing on dry ground to the other side as the Egyptian army was wiped out. Imagine following the pillar of cloud and pillar of fire as God led the Israelites through the desert for 40 years before they entered the Promised Land. Imagine hearing people rave about this man Jesus and then seeing Him walk through Jerusalem healing lepers, blind men, and a woman who had been bleeding profusely for over a decade. Imagine seeing Lazarus alive and well after being raised from the dead by Jesus. Imagine sitting on a hillside and listening to Jesus tell parables and teach the truth of the Scriptures. Imagine hiding among the crowd as Jesus hung on the cross and cried out to God. Imagine sitting on the shore of the Sea of Galilee as our risen Lord cooked breakfast for His disciples and said His final farewell before returning to Heaven.
Imagine!
I’m excited to say that I was blessed with the opportunity to do more than just imagine. A few months ago I went on a two week excursion to Israel, Egypt and Jordan!
I walked the road where Jesus carried His cross on the way to Golgotha. I saw the tomb where it’s believed He was laid. I climbed Mt. Carmel where Elijah had his showdown with the prophets of Baal. I strolled the shores of the Sea of Galilee and saw where Jesus fed the 5,000 and where He walked on water. I sat in the private courtyard of the Garden of Gethsemane and prayed among the olive trees that were alive on the night that Jesus prayed there before His betrayal. I saw the caves at the Dead Sea where the Dead Sea Scrolls rested for almost 2,000 years before being discovered. I was baptized (rededicated) in the Jordan River where John the Baptist had his ministry. I walked in the desert where the Israelites wandered, and I climbed Mt. Sinai and visited the site where God spoke to Moses in the burning bush. I entered the elusive Siq which leads into Petra, Jordan, the remarkable city carved out of pink rock. And I saw where the Apostle Paul was imprisoned in Caesarea.
It was the trip of a lifetime! A chance to meet God in His Holy Land and see firsthand how and where the events of Scripture unfolded. A time to soak up God’s truth and experience history, His Story, like never before. A time to relive the accounts many eye witnesses told through the Bible as I traveled the same paths they traveled.
Throughout my life, God performed amazing miracles time and time again. And experiencing the awesome wonders of the Bible as His Word came alive was another miracle. Now I’m excited to share some of these stories with you over the next couple of weeks.
Shalom!
“He is your praise; He is your God, who performed for you those great and awesome wonders you saw with your own eyes.” Deuteronomy 10:21
May I pray?
Almighty God, we weren’t there when You parted the Red Sea or when You walked on water. But we have seen firsthand the miracles You’ve performed in our lives and the lives of others. I praise You for Your power and Your faithfulness. Please, Lord, open our eyes that we may see You. Open our ears that we may hear You. Open our hearts that we may experience Your love like never before. And may we learn to love You and others with same type of undying love You’ve shown Your children throughout history. Amen.
Q4U: If you could be transported back to Bible times, what scene or story from the Bible would you like to experience in person?