God held us safe in Israel
On October 7th, 2023, Laurel and I were in Jerusalem, Israel. It was a pristinely beautiful and breathtaking morning. The sun was warm and the sky was crystal clear. We had connected in a profound way with the 55 friends who had joined us on a tour of the Holy Land. Following the footsteps of Jesus had transformed us quickly from casual friends to connected family.
That morning, we had just spent time down in the pit where Jesus was held before He was tried and crucified. It was an incredibly moving experience as this group of 57 followers of Jesus gathered in this solemn pit and sang a beautiful song,
Jesus paid it all, all to him I owe.Sin had left a crimson stain.He washed it white as snow.
Our group emerged together from the pit profoundly moved in our spirits because of the price that Jesus had paid for each and every one of us—the price that included His promise of deliverance and salvation.
As we came back out into the warm sunshine, we walked up the steps where Jesus had actually placed his feet. Many people paused and placed their hands on the ancient steps, knowing that Jesus, their Lord, Savior, and King, had walked right there on His journey to keep His promise of deliverance and hope.
As we walked up several concrete flights of stairs and headed back towards the bus, we were jarred by the sound of air raid sirens. The sound of the sirens began to wail over the top of Jerusalem, which was an indication that there were rockets coming in from somewhere outside of Israel. The mood became very tense, and as we looked up into the sky, we actually saw rockets going off that were being intercepted by the Iron Dome, a network of protection that covers the entire country.
As we stood looking up at the initial acts of war, so many things began running through our minds: What was happening? Why was this happening? What did this mean for our group and an entire nation?
Despite the questions, there was an incredible calm. People didn't panic. Everyone quietly made their way back towards the bus. And as we gathered there on the bus, our guide, Sam, turned to us and said these words, “The Lord is my shepherd.” And as we had become accustomed, we all responded back, “I shall not want.”
At that moment, I began to think to myself about all of the things that I did not have. I didn't have very much knowledge about what was happening in the rest of the country. I didn't have any way of knowing what the future would hold. I didn't know how this act of war was going to affect our trip and I didn't know exactly what we were going to do.
BUT what we did have was a peace of God that supernaturally transcended all understanding and that was enough! Over the next couple of days, as our group continued to tour around Jerusalem, even in the face of war, we were comforted, held, and sustained by God's precious promises.
You see, we understood something: God had promised to protect us. God had promised to watch over us. God had promised to allow us to grow in faith in the face of unbelievable uncertainty. AND God had promised that we would experience supernatural peace. My friend, I can tell you that God kept every single one of his promises on that trip and all the way home!
friend, Jesus has promised to bring you safely home as well! Listen to His promise:
“The Lord will keep you from all harm— he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.” (Psalm 121:7-8 NIV)
My friend, no matter where you find yourself today, there is the promise of a way home. Trust Jesus to make that way clear today and never forget...
You are a miracle!
