Israel’s Best Moments

I’ve had lots of folks ask, “What was your favorite part of the recent Israel tour?” It’s almost like asking me to choose which daughter I love most! LOL! But I’ll try to describe some of my most meaningful moments. Honestly, several of them came as complete surprises!

Why surprising?

I thought I knew the two places that would make the biggest impact on me: Petra and Hezekiah’s tunnels. But guess what? BOTH of those sites (as well as the City of David) were cancelled because of the COVID restrictions! Bummer, right?

It was a bummer, and each of our 27 travelers (plus our guide) were disappointed! But here’s how we handled it:

We let ourselves feel the disappointment but watched with great anticipation what gifts our Heavenly Father would give us instead.

I can honestly say our disappointment was outweighed by blessing! Because of COVID restrictions, there were no crowds! We never waited in line, which meant we saw soooo many MORE sites than we normally would have. And because our group struggled through some difficult decisions, we’ve come through this as a close-knit family. I have absolutely no regrets about what we DIDN’T see because of so many added gifts our God showered on us! Here are a few of my favs…

Most Intense

I wanted to see the Temple Mount, but I didn’t hold out much hope because our guide said there were only two times during the week that it might be possible (with our schedule): Thursday afternoon or Sunday morning. We tried on Thursday afternoon.

Not only did we get inside…we actually got to tour the complex with our own Jewish guide! Several folks in our group had to put on added clothing (provided at the entrance to the Mount) to fully cover necks, arms, and legs.

Though we didn’t enter the mosques, we saw the inner wall of the Golden Gate, which is a highly guarded and secure area. While there, we saw a group of about ten Orthodox Jews (men, women, and their children) marching in protest of the Muslim occupation of the Temple Mount. Israeli soldiers walked with them while (Muslim) Temple Mount soldiers stood on the wall above—also watching to ensure no violence broke out.

We were rushed off the premises at 1pm because it was time for prayer, and only those faithful to Islam were allowed on their holy ground. It was an experience I’ll never forget, an experience that gave me a new burden for Islamic souls and the city of Jerusalem that lives in that constant tension of three very strong—and very conflicting—religious beliefs: Judaism, Islam, and Christianity.

Most Joyful

Roy and I had worshiped on a boat on the Sea of Galilee back in 2000 but with Jewish sailors who gave us a little quiet time to meditate on our own. This time, our first full day in the Galilee was a Sunday, and we enjoyed worship on the Sea with a Jewish Christian brother, Daniel Carmel.

Daniel led us in worship songs that were familiar to us so we could sing along—and then sang them to us in Hebrew! It was GLORIOUS!

Most Research Worthy

We’d been enjoying temperatures in the Galilee of about 70 degrees. When we traveled to the Dead Sea area, we knew temps would go up to about 80 degrees, so we dressed a little cooler for our visit to the Ein Gedi Nature Reserve. This was the terrain David lived in during the years he hid from King Saul.

“After Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, he was told, ‘David is in the Desert of En Gedi.’ So Saul took three thousand able young men from all Israel and set out to look for David and his men near the Crags of the Wild Goats. He came to the sheep pens along the way; a cave was there, and Saul went in to relieve himself. David and his men were far back in the cave. The men said, ‘This is the day the Lord spoke of when he said to you, “I will give your enemy into your hands for you to deal with as you wish.”’ Then David crept up unnoticed and cut off a corner of Saul’s robe.” 1 Samuel 24:1-4

Let me tell you…we climbed some of those rocky hills and cliffs, and I realized the short story I’m wring for my Patreon.com subscribers about David’s Wives has to be rewritten! Human beings can’t just scamper hither and fro in the Wilderness of En Gedi, y’all!

 

 

 

 

It was one of the most beautiful places I’ve seen on this earth! Well worth the red face and rapid heart rate. LOL! It will be on the itineraries we plan for EVERY future trip!

Most Spiritually Impactful

God likes to sneak up on me. Does He do that with you? I think I know when something is going to feel spiritual. When I go to church or sing a worship song, I expect to feel His presence.

I’d visited the Western Wall of the Temple (Wailing Wall), and I know it’s the most sacred place on earth to my Jewish brethren. I’d written a prayer request on a piece of paper when I was there in 2000, folded it up, and stuck it in a crack in the wall. It was meaningful back then but not earth-shattering.

When I approached the Wall this time, I couldn’t believe how few people were there. Because of COVID, they’d posted signs, allowing only 10 people at a time to draw near it. As I waited my turn, I glanced up and saw a white bird in a niche directly above where I would be standing.

Dove? Well, probably a pigeon—but they’re part of the dove family, so go with me here. The thought that struck me was the dove that descended on Jesus after His baptism.

“And the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: ‘You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.’” Luke 3:22

A woman standing directly below the bird backed away from the Wall, and I walked forward, placing my hand on the Wall to pray. Immediately, I felt the presence of the Holy Spirit so powerfully, I began to weep. Not just pretty little seeping moisture beneath my eyelids. I’m talking twisty-faced, sniveling, can’t talk, ugly cry. I heard the Lord speak silently to my spirit:

“I’m not in these stones. I’m not in the fancy mosques on the other side of this wall. I’m in YOU. You’re my temple, Mesu. My people are my Temple, and I AM everywhere you are.”

I pressed my forehead against the cold stone of that sacred wall—“sacred” meaning set-apart, not mystical or magic. Yet it is the only remaining artifact of His Temple–a stunning reminder of where the eternal temple will one day stand. Where we will worship Him together as one people, one tribe, one Bride who will feast forever with her Beloved.

Israel’s Best Moments

Honestly, there were a thousand moments on this tour that are worthy of their own blog post or newsletter article. But here’s the truth:

YOU need to experience it for yourself. YOU need to stand on the Mt. of Olives and see that golden city like my precious friend Amanda did.

I don’t know when I’ll lead another tour, but Roy and I plan to take another group to Israel–maybe Egypt in 2022 (with an extension to Petra/Israel). So start saving your pennies right now! My next books are on Joseph, and we’ll ALL need to see Egypt to learn more!

Today’s Questions:

• We do not know exactly when or how yet, but we are saving pennies now for an Egypt 2022 research tour with a Petra/Israel Extension! What are your thoughts?