Day 06 - Galilee - Jerusalem: Beth Shean, Megiddo, Mt. Carmel, Caesarea Maritima

We started our day on the shore of the Sea of Galilee (our last morning in this place 🥲).  Craig taught us the Hebrew word yada.  It means to know, not just by study, but by experience.  

The questions of the day were:
Who am I?
What am I doing here?
And more importantly, WHOSE am I?

I’m sure I’m not using the word correctly, but do I yada Jesus?

Our first stop was Bet She’ An. We visited ruins of a Roman city. You could imagine the opulence of it.  It would have been the place to be. A place where ‘everyone did what was right in his own eyes’.  

Above Bet She’ An is Mt Gilboa where Saul died and Mt Moreh where Gideon downsized his army. The two mountains remind me of  the difference between staying faithful to God (whittle the size of that army down - no worries) and taking the gift God gave you and saying ‘no thank you I’ll do things my way’!

We headed to Megiddo. This spot has been fought over forever!  27 to 30 layers of civilizations!  Everyone wanted it because whoever ruled it, ruled the trade route! It will also be the place of the final battle. It is also known as Armageddon!  🤔

Ahab built a pretty impressive water system there by digging a tunnel to the spring that was outside the city and then covering the spring so enemies couldn’t find it!

We moved on to Mt Carmel where one of my favorite stories (historical facts) of the Bible is memorialized!  Elijah couldn’t take the blatant idol worship of baal and ashera, so he challenged the believers to a showdown their gods and his God. Of course God wins and Elijah was feeling pretty great until he found out Jezebel was out to kill him and he fell into a great depression.  

Then he (I) started whining and looking for God in all the wrong places!  In hindsight, he (I) realized that God was in the still small voice telling him to rest and eat.  To top it all off, God sent 7000 faithful supporters to surround him (me)!  

Our day ended with a visit to Caesarea Maritima where Cornelius sent for Peter and Peter came to realize that God made the Gentiles too and all are clean in His eyes. (Game changer for me!)

Who am I?  A sinner who wanted to do what was right in my own eyes, but was chased down by the only God who loves me and wants what’s best for me.

What am I doing here?  Learning to listen for God’s still small voice instead of demanding things happen the way I want them to. And, remembering that God cares when I’m feeling defeated and lost.  

Whose am I?  The One who ‘yada’s ME! 😉

Guest blogger Penny Nirider