The Wilderness
We had been exploring Jerusalem for a few days, and let me tell you, it was cool. Despite a little rain, the weather was beautiful and we got to see the sites that we had been reading about in the Bible for all of our lives. We touched the tomb where Jesus was buried. We took selfies in Bethlehem where they believe the Savior was born. We even did devotions at the trial place of Jesus, where people cried out, "Crucify him!" before sending him to the cross.
And while all of that was absolutely awe-inspiring, there was an unfortunate sense of ostentation. These sites had been under the care of various religions, many of which turned these holy places to pretentious displays meant to attract tourists rather than Biblical revelations.
That is not to say that I wasn't amazed by the Church of the Holy Sepulcher or the Garden of Gethsemane...because trust me, that was amazing. But the sites were so flashy that I did not experience the fullness of God like I thought I would.
The first time that I saw God in a brand new way was on the Ascent of Adumim, just outside of Jericho. For so long, all we could see was a massive mound of dirt. There was no trace of civilization within miles of the place and the only signs of life were creatures that wanted to kill us (I'm thinking of some tiny venomous scorpions commonly known as "death stalkers").
Anyway, we finally reached the summit. As I stood at the top of this massive hill, my breath was taken away. For the first time, we came across a site that was purely God. Not flashy, not showy. Not some decorated shrine or elaborate stained-glass cathedral. Simple nature. Unadulterated. Matchless design of a Holy Creator. and let me tell you, it was beautiful.
I'd post a picture, but frankly I do not know how. So I'm going to briefly describe this place to you.
The wilderness, which is the same wilderness that the Israelites wandered through, makes up the southernmost portion of Israel. It receives very little rain and is composed of bumpy senonian chalk. The land is barren. There is no water, very little rain, hardly any greenery, and a seemingly endless desert of steep hills and low valleys. Flash floods used to wipe out anyone who wandered through the desert, and darkness meant that you were probably going to fall off a cliff and come crashing to your death. It is brown for as far as the eye can see, and these hills rise up to the hazy horizon far off in the distance.
For good reason, this land was known in the Bible as the "great and terrible wilderness."
It was big. It was dark. It was terrifying. Many lost their lives in those valleys. Many still do to this day. But as we read Psalm 23 on top of the cliff, I was reminded that the Lord is ALWAYS with us. Even though we "walk through the valley of the shadow of death," we do not have to fear. Our God will never leave us.
In the wilderness, I began thinking about all the things I fear: failure. rejection. deviled eggs. loneliness. telling people things they don't want to hear....
Oh crap. That's a big one.
For so much of my life, I have feared the opinions of man over the obedience of God. It is easier for me to lie than to tell someone something they don't want to hear. I am willingly choosing to sin over letting someone down or upsetting them.
This curse - many call it "people pleasing" - is something that has plagued me for years. It's gotten me in countless messy situations and had me overcommitted multiple times...even to the point where I once had two dates to the same prom. This comes from fear. Fear of telling people no. Fear of being honest. Fear of man. NOT a fear of God.
But what do I know about fear?? We do not have to fear. We are not supposed to fear. We are consumed by a love that casts out fear. So, just like the wanderers in the wilderness feared no evil,
I commit to fearing no man.
The days of people pleasing are (prayerfully) behind me.
And while all of that was absolutely awe-inspiring, there was an unfortunate sense of ostentation. These sites had been under the care of various religions, many of which turned these holy places to pretentious displays meant to attract tourists rather than Biblical revelations.
That is not to say that I wasn't amazed by the Church of the Holy Sepulcher or the Garden of Gethsemane...because trust me, that was amazing. But the sites were so flashy that I did not experience the fullness of God like I thought I would.
The first time that I saw God in a brand new way was on the Ascent of Adumim, just outside of Jericho. For so long, all we could see was a massive mound of dirt. There was no trace of civilization within miles of the place and the only signs of life were creatures that wanted to kill us (I'm thinking of some tiny venomous scorpions commonly known as "death stalkers").
Anyway, we finally reached the summit. As I stood at the top of this massive hill, my breath was taken away. For the first time, we came across a site that was purely God. Not flashy, not showy. Not some decorated shrine or elaborate stained-glass cathedral. Simple nature. Unadulterated. Matchless design of a Holy Creator. and let me tell you, it was beautiful.
I'd post a picture, but frankly I do not know how. So I'm going to briefly describe this place to you.
The wilderness, which is the same wilderness that the Israelites wandered through, makes up the southernmost portion of Israel. It receives very little rain and is composed of bumpy senonian chalk. The land is barren. There is no water, very little rain, hardly any greenery, and a seemingly endless desert of steep hills and low valleys. Flash floods used to wipe out anyone who wandered through the desert, and darkness meant that you were probably going to fall off a cliff and come crashing to your death. It is brown for as far as the eye can see, and these hills rise up to the hazy horizon far off in the distance.
For good reason, this land was known in the Bible as the "great and terrible wilderness."
It was big. It was dark. It was terrifying. Many lost their lives in those valleys. Many still do to this day. But as we read Psalm 23 on top of the cliff, I was reminded that the Lord is ALWAYS with us. Even though we "walk through the valley of the shadow of death," we do not have to fear. Our God will never leave us.
In the wilderness, I began thinking about all the things I fear: failure. rejection. deviled eggs. loneliness. telling people things they don't want to hear....
Oh crap. That's a big one.
For so much of my life, I have feared the opinions of man over the obedience of God. It is easier for me to lie than to tell someone something they don't want to hear. I am willingly choosing to sin over letting someone down or upsetting them.
This curse - many call it "people pleasing" - is something that has plagued me for years. It's gotten me in countless messy situations and had me overcommitted multiple times...even to the point where I once had two dates to the same prom. This comes from fear. Fear of telling people no. Fear of being honest. Fear of man. NOT a fear of God.
But what do I know about fear?? We do not have to fear. We are not supposed to fear. We are consumed by a love that casts out fear. So, just like the wanderers in the wilderness feared no evil,
I commit to fearing no man.
The days of people pleasing are (prayerfully) behind me.