Springs on Parched Ground

This morning we left Jerusalem for the Negev, the Judean desert. On the way out of the city we passed the mayors office, with bullet holes blanketing the front wall. Almost immediately we saw the old wall of Jerusalem with railroad workers frantically working nearby to complete Jerusalem's first internal railway system. After passing the Kidron Valley (the Valley of Jehosephat), we passed through the long tunnel going through Mt Scopius. Upon exiting the tunnel we found ourselves in the desert. It was a portal to a new world. There were small Bedouin settlements scattered about, with people working under the shade of tents and shacks to protect them from the scorching mid-morning sun. Their heads were wrapped in traditional coverings. Next, we passed the city of Jericho in the distance. Our guide Tom, a historian who loves Jesus, explained how the city is an enormous oasis fed by 5 springs. The Arab family that owns the springs has become very wealthy from selling the water. I was grieved to hear from Tom that Israeli government had decided to give the city back to the Palestinians, after the Lord gave it to their ancestors through his miraculous power. As we decended to -400 feet below sea level we came near the Dead Sea. It was barren wilderness with an occassional grove of date palms that were fed by springs. The date palms are one of the only trees that thrive in the salty soil near the Dead Sea. They actually cleanse the soil. On the way to Qumran National Park, the site of the Essene sect's scrolls (The Dead Sea Scrolls), we passed by Wadi Droga, a dry riverbed that runs from the East side of Jerusalem to the Dead Sea (see Ezekial Ch's 36-38) . We explored Qumran by hiking up the mountains through the wildreness to see the caves where the 1st century Old Testiment scrolls were buried and the old aquaducts built by the Essenes to collect water. I had plenty of moments to pray on a breathtaking hike along the edges of clifts, overlooking the mountains and the Dead Sea. High up, we had to do some rock climbing without ropes. As I had to trust God to keep me safe, God brought this scripture to life in me: "He makes my feet like hinds' feet and sets me on my high places" 2 Samuel 22:34, Habakkuk 3:19 I shared this revelation with a friend on the tour. She shared with me that she'd just read the book Hinds Feet on High Places before coming to Israel and it was a Word to her from God that He was bringing her to a deeper level of trust in Him. She's on a two month mission trip here in Israel. I'm so happy to be a part of what God is doing in her life.