Israel Day One: Lessons in Faith and Sight

Author: Katelyn Sullins

Hello, from the Holy Land!

After a full day of long but very smooth travel, last night’s sleep was very much welcomed! We are all bright eyed and bushy tailed, thrilled to finally be in Israel, and have taken enough collective cat naps on the bus to render us capable of much learning to come.

This morning started bright and early with a lesson in sight pictures. Our tour guide, Ronen, walked us through what elements of Hebrew culture might be found consistently in most cities or villages. His help in understanding things like Israeli agriculture, wine presses, threshing floors, and burial sites laid a solid foundation for what we will see in the coming days.

We traveled a few minutes to Beth-Shemesh, and learned that Samson was a man who consistently did what was right in his own eyes – and taught us a surprising amount about how what we see effects what we believe.

Azekah, just a few more minutes away, allowed us to look out in the Valley of Elah, the battleground for the David and Goliath fight we all know so much about. Our heads spun to read a story we heard as kids mean so much more than we could have imagined. This was another lesson in sight affecting our faith – and we prayed for the courage to defend the name of the Lord in the face of defeat – similar to David.

After lunch, we witnessed firsthand what it might have been like for David to seek refuge in a cave, and were challenged to sing about our deliverance before we experience or see it – because of the steadfast hope we have in our Savior.

Our last sight of the day was Beersheba, a city that was home to Abram long before he saw the Lord’s promises fulfilled. After a day of following without complete understanding of our agenda, it was humbling to learn of a God who faithfully delivers on His promise and patiently provokes his people to hope in him during the wait.

This is only my second time to Israel, but the Lord is already using my time here in different ways for his purposes (no doubt). Among other things, today was a day that reminded me HE cares – about even the seemingly insignificant areas of my heart. I asked for His favor to be able to experience two sites specifically that are historically crowded, noisy, overrun with field trips, and often times rushed. Wouldn’t you know, we had the place all to ourselves and were granted entrance even after the park closed, despite our late arrival?!?! He knows, he hears, and he cares. What a grace it is to see evidences of His presence in a land that proclaims such from every corner.

We can’t thank you enough for going before us with your prayers. Tune in tomorrow as we are eager to see what the Lord has planned. I hear we might find ourselves wandering in the desert…