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| Mt. Herman on the border of Israel with Syria |
I am the LORD, and there is
no other, besides me there is no God; I equip you, though you do not
know me, that people may know, from the rising of the sun and from the west,
that there is none besides me; I am the LORD, and there is no other. I
form light and create darkness, I make well-being and create
calamity, I am the LORD, who does all these things.
"Shower, O heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain down
righteousness; let the earth open, that salvation and righteousness may bear
fruit; let the earth cause them both to sprout; I the LORD have created it.
"Woe to him who strives
with him who formed him, a pot among earthen pots! Does the clay say to him who
forms it, 'What are you making?' or 'Your work has no handles'? Woe to him who
says to a father, 'What are you begetting?' or to a woman, 'With what are you
in labor?'"
Thus says the LORD, the Holy
One of Israel, and the one who formed him: "Ask me of things to come; will
you command me concerning my children and the work of my hands? I made the
earth and created man on it; it was my hands that stretched out the heavens,
and I commanded all their host.
I have stirred him up in
righteousness, and I will make all his ways level; he shall build my city and
set my exiles free, not for price or reward," says the LORD of hosts.
Isaiah 45:5-13
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| Jordan River source in Dan |
As we traveled around the country of
Israel, a very clear picture came together for me, Adonai. To the north, lush
forests with abounding water, in the west and middle sections, fertile, rich
farmland. Separating East from West, two mountain ranges, and the further east
and South we traveled, the more arid and dry The Land became. Add to this, an
elevation change from North to South of 13000 feet and seasonal changes in
temperature of plus or minus 50 degrees… it makes for a diverse environment of
existence.
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| Worshipers at the Western Wall |
I also saw this diversity in the people.
I thought we were socially divergent in the United States (and we are!), but
Your Land appears to be the original model of contrasting cultures; spiritual
persuasions, ethnic backgrounds, family/tribal and political beliefs all
contributing to a powerful mix of the human condition.
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| Herod's Quarters where Jesus was taken |
And some in this diverse region, just
like those in our diverse country, would argue that You too are flexible and
different according to their needs. I have been told by some that You are an
invented idea, conveniently made for the time and place of someone’s needs and
desires. Many dismiss You, Lord as nothing more than an explanation for the ‘unexplained’.
When You are not needed, we would dismiss
You away; when things go wrong in the world, we even demonize You as uncaring
or diabolical (“After all,” they will say, “You must have caused the calamity
or suffering because Your ‘soul’ purpose is to hurt and punish mankind.”). To
some who think this way, You are to be manipulated, used and called upon only
in the time and place of their choosing. To these people, Your character
changes as necessary to justify their actions, desires and beliefs:You are to
them, a Jig-saw Puzzle God – pieces of Your existence they would cut and fit to
a pattern of their design.
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| Southern face of Masada |
But You, Elohim, are the God of the
dessert; You are the God of the mountains and plains and to those who live in
each place. Perhaps we forget from time to time, that You are the God of all
creation and Your ways are not our ways – beyond our understanding. Your way
is not one of convenience – Your character does not allow others to shape You
who are The Shaper.
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| Shrine at birthplace of John the Baptist |
The Land helps me to understand better:
You are not a mosaic of manmade images; I’ve come to realize that actually, we
are Your puzzle, which is being completed with careful mysterious
planning, loving kindness and correction. Just as the land changes and is
reshaped over the course of time; just as it affects those who are bound to it;
so I am cultivated and tilled by You. And I in turn become a source for others.
It is not by my hands that You exist – it is by Your hand that I and all
mankind, as well as Your earthly dwelling place, are offered redemption and renewal.
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| Gothic Church in Jerusalem |
Now when I reflect on my journey from
the heights of Mt. Herman, through the forests of Dan, into the fields and
valley of Jezreel and beyond to the wilderness; ultimately up to Jerusalem; I begin
to see the vast complexity and wisdom of Your plan. You are not to be defined
or understood by one example or one scriptural reference or one feature within
a place or one moment in time. You are God and Your puzzle must be completely
finished, each piece placed as and when You determine.
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| "Look deeply at the hands that suffered" |
Your desire is all that matters – a
difficult thing to accept, Master; I would choose (and I confess I still try to
choose) differently. Forgive me and thank You; praise You, that You, as God of
all – sacrificed Yourself to The Land and to its people to shape a new
creation.
I pray that all of us search the world
for You with a hunger that will not be satisfied until the day the puzzle
picture is complete.
Mark C.
