Rivers of Living Water

Our first stop of the day was in En Gedi. En means spring and Gedi means little wild goats. Yes, we started our day in the spring of little wild goats. What is the significance of En Gedi? David lived in the strongholds of En Gedi while he was hiding from Saul. En Gedi is a beautiful oasis in Israel located west of the Dead Sea. It houses the rock badger, ibex and leopard to name a few animals. There is a beautiful waterfall and streams flowing with clear water. We heard a message from Pastor Bill Foote about David and Saul (see 1 Samuel 24:1-7). David was hiding in one of the caves while Saul and his men came in and slept. David had an opportunity to kill Saul, but he cut the corner of his robe instead. He quickly regretted cutting Saul’s robe because David knew Saul was the ruler of Israel until the time God gave the throne to him. While David was technically the anointed one of God he had not yet taken his place. Sometimes when God calls us to do something it isn’t a direct path. Certainly for each of us the experience and trials when trying to live with Christ will come. But like David we all have to learn to trust God. God uses our brokenness for our good and his glory. When you’re tired and feel alone, call out to God. Pastor Rob then reminded us of the work the Holy Spirit does and the promise Jesus gave us about His Spirit. He then encouraged us: just as the waterfall fills the streams, God will fill your heart with the rivers of living water.

After our visit to En Gedi, we traveled to a small camp nestled in the mountains on the northern end of the Dead Sea in Qumran. Just like the many other ancient settlements in Israel, this one has particular significance to us as Christians. Though originally believed to be a settlement of the Essenes sect, we now know they were actually a different group of people that we call the Sect of the Dead Sea. They kept the Dead Sea Scrolls, handwritten copies of the Old Testament, and hid them from the Romans in nearby caves. They were first discovered in 1946 by a Bedouin shepherd. Amongst the findings are pieces of every book in the Old Testament and almost all of Isaiah (except for a couple of chapters). The Dead Sea Scrolls do not contradict or invalidate any of the Bible that we have been reading for centuries, but rather corroborate it. I never once believed that the Bible was anything but God breathed and His inerrant word; but I sure do appreciate when discoveries are made that prove what we’ve known all along by faith.

The last stop before sundown (and the beginning of the Sabbath) was to the Jordan River so that a number of us could be baptized (two women in our group were baptized for the very first time). Baptism is an outward profession of a person’s commitment to live a Christ-like life. Even though I had given my life to Christ in 1994, I wasn’t baptized until 1997. When I made a commitment to follow Christ I had no idea what that really meant. In the years since then, my life has been filled with many trials. The path God set out for me has been full of twists and turns. Through every trial he has stood by my side. He has filled me to overflowing with joy. Today I got to be baptized in the Jordan River. While not in the exact spot where John baptize Jesus, it is the same river flowing from the Sea of Galilee. While standing there before the baptism we began with worship. The first song was Amazing Grace and as we sang I felt the presence of the Lord. While standing there my heart was so filled I couldn’t help but shed tears of joy. When I stood between Pastor Rob and Pastor Bill to be baptized, I knew Jesus was watching. Pastor Bill talked with me and prayed with me. I knew without a shadow of a doubt that I have been called to follow Jesus, to live my life being obedient to His Word. While not everyone may experience baptism in the same way, my hope is that everyone will feel the presence of the Lord. This was a beautiful way to end the day! May all of you be blessed and filled with the joy of the Lord.

With love overflowing,

Starr