Arise, Walk Through the Land

Our God is such a personal God! Little things that matter to me probably mean little to others...but they matter to God. And He is that way about all His children. He cares about not just the big things in our lives...who we should marry, job changes, our spiritual progress...but the little things as well.

In 2009, Linda loaned me a book written by a husband and father of two. This family lived in Israel for nearly a year. During that time, they traveled throughout Israel, Jordan, Egypt, and Syria. But in addition to the typical sites, such as the Mt. of Olives and the Garden of Gethsemane, they explored out-of-the-way biblical sites that most people never even hear about, let alone visit, and this man wrote about them. This appeals to me, since for the most part, when it comes to educational sightseeing, I like to be where people are not. It seems people tend to flock to places that are advertised and well-known. I like to find little hidden jewels that connect-the-dots for me biblically or present me with a visual understanding of biblical principles.

Here in the Holy Land, many popular sites only warrant a "traditional" placement. A common phrase in the archaeology world is "according to tradition." This means that there is no true historical evidence to prove that the location is a valid biblical site. Much of the controversy about biblical sites is rooted in the actions of Constantine's mother, so-called Saint Helen, who visited Palestine during the 4th century. She would declare a place to be the location of a key Bible event. She had the power and money to not only establish her word as fact in the religious world, but to order a church built on that site. She claimed to find Jesus' cross and even the nails from it, a piece of His tunic and pieces of the rope that were used to tie Him to the cross. Call me a skeptic, but please direct me to historical sources showing that she was credibly educated to make such important decisions. Then, I will rethink my opinion of Helen and her influence in the Holy Land.

But I have digressed. Anyway, when Bill and I visited Israel in 2009, we used Linda's great book, which detailed biblical sites but did not lead people to believe they were seeing authentic sites when they were not. It provided relevant corresponding Scriptures and best of all...directions on how to get to these off-the-beaten-path sites! We and our little rental car bumped down dirt roads in search of some of these sites. It was great fun. I know some people find it an incredible bore, but I almost get ecstatic when I stand next to a pile of rocks which are the ruins of a biblical city. It is insightful to stand where David, Samson, Nehemiah, and so many others lived, walked, talked, prophesied, and wrote. To see the hills that surrounded their villages, or the remains of homes they may have visited, provides my mind with pictoral background when I read the Bible. Sometimes we found ourselves all alone on a tel or beside a quiet stream. As I said, not many people visit these places. The solitude makes for much better absorption of the site, contrasted with big tour groups that are rushed through big churches adorned with icons and stained-glass windows. In 2009, we used that great book to enhance our Israel visit with meaningful and life-enriching jaunts.

Hoping our days off from IBCJ activities would enable us to explore further, I searched and searched for this book online. But I could not find it and Linda could not locate the copy she had loaned me. So I came to Israel with a similar book, but it did not provide the detail and directions as the one I'd borrowed.

A few weeks ago, we were in a bookstore and my eyes immediately fell on Arise, Walk Through the Land by Roy Turkington. It had a new cover but I could tell by the typesetting of the book that it was the one I was looking for!

I am well aware that probably no one else is excited about my discovery, but that's okay. To me, it was a little reminder (not that I have forgotten!) that God is still interested in me, my life, and yes...even little day-to-day matters that don't seem very spiritual or important. I'm grateful for His blessings in my life, not just obvious ones, but little ones as well. If you have taken the time to read all the way through this long blog, I hope you too are reminded that God is concerned about you, your life, and the things that are important to you (as long as they are not carnal or harmful to you!). He is an attentive, caring, compassionate Father.