I have lost the first half of this month, but most of those
days have been anything BUT lost – because the first eleven days of May were
spent walking where Jesus walked,
and the last three were spent walking
with fellow sisters in Christ! From
May 1st through May 11th, my husband and I were
privileged to be traveling around in God’s chosen land, Israel; and I just
spent 3 days speaking at Camas Meadows Women’s Retreat up in the mountains here
in my own state of Washington. My
body is tired, but my heart is full of joy!
There is so much to take in when you walk where Jesus
walked. Of course, much has changed
since the first-century land that Jesus called home; but the footprint of
centuries of civilizations in this region is amazing to see and try to capture
– especially for Americans whose country is only a couple hundred years
old. Just to give you an idea . . . we
saw temple stones crafted under Herod
the Great, Roman streets and
columns, Byzantine and Crusader fortresses, and a portion of
the broad wall built by Hezekiah and
referred to in Nehemiah 3:8. We took a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee and waded in the Mediterranean. We saw the cave where the Dead Sea Scrolls
were discovered and the valley where so many Old Testament battles took
place. And we walked the streets of the
town where Jesus was born (Bethlehem), the town he grew up in (Nazareth), and the town he
spent much of his ministry life in (Capernaum). Like I said – a lot to take in!
Then I came home and had the privilege of speaking at a
women’s retreat and sharing a weekend with a wonderful group of ladies.
After seeing so much of where
Jesus used to live, I was able to experience again as I have so many times
before the joy of seeing where Jesus
lives today – in the hearts and lives of his followers. I was in the city where the Holy Spirit first
entered the lives of believers, and then I was in a room of believers for the
weekend where the Spirit’s presence was obvious and precious.
Combining everything I’ve done so far this month, I have a
new perspective. The land of Israel
bears witness to God’s sovereignty
and power throughout history, but
there is so much more to the story. The
ministry of Jesus had one purpose: establishing his eternal kingdom in the hearts of his followers. To see that in action, it isn’t necessary to
travel any further than the group of Christians closest to you. Jesus
is alive and well here and now!
I hope you all get the chance someday to walk where Jesus
walked and enhance your Bible understanding.
But until then . . . keep furthering his kingdom by loving those around
you and seeking to do his will in the place where you live. Shalom . . .
