Faith and risk

What an amazing, amazing time it has been so far. Every day in Israel gets better than the last. Today we began with a boat ride and time of worship on the Sea of Galilee. No matter where you were on the boat every where you looked was another stunning vista. It was so powerful to be on the same Sea that Jesus called Peter to walk out to Him on. Singing "spirit lead me where my trust is without boarders, let me walk upon the waters" has never been so real and overwhelming before. I can't imagine anything better than worshipping with the family of Christ on such a significant Biblical place.

After worship Michael taught about risk. Just as to listen and follow are different sides of the same coin so to is faith and risk. It's something we don't always think about, but with out risk do we really have faith? From Abraham to Moses to Joshua and on and on God called them to take a big risk and step out in faith. With their faith in spite of the risk a nation was born, the chosen people were freed, and promised lands were conquered. With such a powerful message the next logical step would be to have a dance party. Under Ronen's expert leadership we sang and danced around the boat. I couldn't help but think of Psalm 149:3-“Let them praise his name with dancing, making melody to him with tambourine and lyre!”

Arriving on the other side of the Sea of Galilee we headed to a museum to see a first century boat. Often hailed as Jesus' boat, it is a amazingly well preserved example of a fishing boat that Peter and other fishermen would have used. From there we headed to the ancient cities of Tel Bet She'an and Schytopolis. We saw Roman architecture and city planning at its finest; from theaters with perfect acoustics to bath houses with heated floors and the best plumbing in the area. Unfortunately the area was devastated by an earthquake in 749, and never rebuilt. Over the years it was buried and forgotten until 1949 when people wanted to build on the area. We ended our day at the Ein Harod springs at the base of Mt Gilboa. It was in these waters that Gideon brought his force of 10,000 men to drink before battle. God then told him to only take the 300 men who scooped the water up to their mouths into battle. Just beyond the springs was Mt. Gilboa. It was here that Saul was defeated and killed in battle with the philistines. Three of the sons of Saul were also killed here. The new King David, after hearing of their deaths penned a somber lament in their honor which is still recited to honor Israels fallen today. We finished our time at Ein Harod by jumping into the vibrant turquoise pools. The stunning waters were refreshingly warm and tiny fish swarmed our tired feet and gave us a nibbling pedicure. A relaxing end to a fun filled day.

Before we left Michael said coming to Israel would be like trying to drink from a fire hose-so spot on. Physically, emotionally and spiritually everyday is incredible and overwhelming. Israel in many ways looks like Southern California so it took a while for it to sink in that I'm actually here. But when it did finally hit the feeling is indescribable! The Bible is much more vivid, and I have been experiencing Jesus presence in new ways. I cannot wait to see what tomorrow brings!

Ingrid Ross