Mountains of Gilboa, may you have neither dew nor rain, may no showers fall on your terraced fields.For there the shield of the mighty was despised, the shield of Saul—no longer rubbed with oil. 2 Samuel 1:21 The Philistines were gathering for battle. Saul mustered his forces to meet the threat. They gathered near the spring of Jezreel at the foot of Mount Gilboa. The evening before the battle, Saul was scared. God had abandoned him, and he was seeking guidance. Sneaking across the valley, over Mount Moreh to the north, he found a medium at En Dor, and asked […]
Monthly Archives: June 2015
Strengthen the Defenses
We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you. 1 Corinthians 4:8-12 Belvoir is the best preserved Crusader fortress […]
Ten Years Ago
When Moses sent them to explore Canaan, he said, “Go up through the Negev and on into the hill country. See what the land is like and whether the people who live there are strong or weak, few or many. What kind of land do they live in? Is it good or bad? What kind of towns do they live in? Are they unwalled or fortified? How is the soil? Is it fertile or poor? Are there trees on it or not? Do your best to bring back some of the fruit of the land.” (It was the season for […]
Springs in the Desert
The burning sand will become a pool, the thirsty ground bubbling springs. In the haunts where jackals once lay, grass and reeds and papyrus will grow. Isaiah 35:7 Driving north from Eilat, we eventually arrived at the Dead Sea region. Most of the areas around the Dead Sea are rather dry and lifeless. But there are a few places teeming with life. En Gedi is the most famous because David hid there from King Saul. I’ve been there a handful of times. We stopped briefly this time before pushing northward. Near the northwest corner of the Dead Sea, […]