For we walk by faith, not by sight

The sun was shining brightly this morning as we all woke up pretty exhausted from the long day we experienced yesterday, and drained from the heat. With another 100-degree day ahead of us, we knew we needed to stay strong, look out for others around us, and be cautious of the ways our bodies were reacting. Nonetheless, we were ready to conquer the day and excited about the new places Ben and Stacie were taking us. We started off our day in Bethsaida, where we learned about how Jesus is calling us, ordinary people, to be his disciples. That even five of the disciples Jesus chose were so willing to drop everything they had and follow Him through life and death; and to show and prove to the world that they were witnesses to Jesus’ miracles. We then drove 25 miles north of the Sea of Galilee to a place called Caesarea Philippi. Walking in, I was joyed to see the spring water flowing around us, and all the trees; it was almost as if I was walking through a trail back in Michigan. We discussed how Jesus wanted to build His church on these specific rocks, even though it was so far away from his home and said to be a gateway to Hell. After, we enjoyed a little piece of our home, as we were brought Israeli pizza for lunch.

Following lunch, we were led down a trail to the Jordan River, also where Jesus was baptized. Ben explained to us that God wants us to live out the ‘wet feet kind of faith’, and to trust in His provision. We were thrilled when Ben told us that we were able to walk into the river, as it had already been a long day in the heat, and to be able to pray together that our hands, feet, hearts, and minds will continually follow the Lord. Our final stop for the day was a long walk along the north shore of the Sea of Galilee. We all stopped in the shade and shared stories of how Jesus would minister during His walk of everyday life, and that we don’t need a specific situation to share the good news of the Lord and create relationships with others; it can happen any day or any time.

As we continue to learn more about the stories in the Bible and walk the paths Jesus did, I am constantly reminded on how much God provides. When Jesus called the fishermen to be His disciples, they had to trust Jesus and that they were not leaving behind their family trade for nothing. Down by the Jordan River, we were also reminded how the Israelites had to trust in the Lord that once they put their feet in the rushing water it would stand at a halt. Speaking for myself, and many others with me, this trip has pushed me to strongly rely on God’s provision. We had no idea where $4000 was coming from to get here, yet we trusted God and signed up for an experience of a lifetime, knowing that He would provide. And now we are all here, God willing $4000 was raised, and experiencing the Word of God in a brand new perspective.

-Morgan Winters