Daily devotion – Thursday 24th June 2021
After a night at the Dead Sea, we begin our journey to where we will spend our final four nights of our tour, in Jerusalem!
After a short bus ride, we arrive at Masada – it rises 820 feet overlooking the Dead Sea and the view is spectacular. This is quite a sacred location to the nation of Israel for it is on this rock that a courageous band of Jewish zealots held off for a brief period the Tenth Legion
Eventually, after building an enormous siege ramp, the legion reached the summit only to find the bodies of over 900 men, women and children, victims of a suicide pact to keep the Romans from taking them as prisoners.
Whenever Israeli jet fighters happen to fly over Masada, they dip their wings in salute to the 900 whose lives ended in this historic event.
Afterwards we proceed to Ein Gedi, “Spring of the Goat”, an oasis on the western shore of the Dead Sea. Because of its warm climate and abundant supply of water, the site developed a reputation for its fragrant plants and date palm groves.
It is this very location, where King David hid from Saul, and where God defeated the enemies of the Israelites by praise and worship led by King Jehoshaphat.
Even when we are in God’s will, as David was, for he was at this time the anointed King of Israel, we find David being hunted down by King Saul. Many people think that being in God’s means that everything must be quiet and peaceful with no illness’ problems or trials.
You only have to remember Job, whom the Lord said, Job 1:8 – Then the LORD asked Satan, “Have you noticed my servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth. He is blameless—a man of complete integrity. He fears God and stays away from evil.”
God spoke glowingly of Job, yet we all know the trials that job was about to undergo in the following chapters of the book bearing his name.
Our Lord Himself, in the Gospel of Mark we are told, Mar 1:12 Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness. Mar 1:13 And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him. – whilst being in the perfect will of His father endured hardship, hunger and attack from the enemy.
Maybe today you are going through a massive trial, and you are wondering if you are out of the will of God or not. It is not the happenings around us that dictate whether we are in or out of God’s will, but rather our relationship with God. Whether we are walking intimately with Him in His Word, in obedience and in prayer.
James tells us that God allows certain events to come our way so that we may mature and grow in our faith. James 1:2 Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.
Remember a faith that cannot be tested, is a faith that cannot be trusted.