Day 02 - Negev: Wilderness of Zin, Bedouin Hospitality, Tel Arad, Dead Sea

Shalom, Shalom!

Today we explored … THE DESERT!

We woke up early to a warm (i.e. HOT) day at the Dead Sea. 

We ate breakfast, shared devotions and then immediately loaded the bus to drive deep into the heart of the desert. So much of the Bible takes place in the desert – from Abraham first stepping foot into the land, to Moses leading the Israelites, to the prophets, to John the Baptist, Paul, and even Jesus.  

We began the day with the question:  “Why would God choose to lead his people through the desert?” Of all the ways God could choose to teach his people, why does God choose the desert? Of all the places God could choose to start a relationship with people, why does God choose the desert?

What we discovered …

Every tree, rock, bush, plant, stream and tent tell the story of our God drawing close to his people. 

Sometimes people learn the lessons the desert has to teach:  We offer hospitality to strangers, we learn to trust God for “just enough”, we place our faith solely in him. Other times people forget the lessons of the desert:  We bow to foreign idols, we place our allegiance in our own strength, we neglect our fellow humanity. And yet, again and again our God keeps calling us back to the desert to renew the relationship. 

We did that …

And then, of course, we put on our bathing suits, lathered up with mud, and floated in the Dead Sea. 

And THAT was DAY 2.

GRACE&PEACE.