Today marks the beginning of some very special festivities: the state of Israel is turning 60 years old on May 14, 2008! Apparently the party starts today .
For Israel to become a nation state is no small feat. No nation on the face of the earth has EVER faced more opposition (for thousands and thousands of years) from the time of Abraham until now! Surrounded by hostile enemies and a tiny nation by any standard, Israel has stood tall and often alone against the raging tides of warfare, world opinion/opposition and blatant terrorism.
I had the privilege of visiting Israel a few years ago. I didn't particularly want to go, but from the time I stepped off the plane and visited the house of Simon the tanner (Acts 10:5 - 6) in Joppa (my first evening in Israel) my life was changed forever. I can never read my Bible or teach the Bible now without new eyes and a new heart. Visiting Israel made my Bible come alive! Visiting Israel and actually seeing the places I had read and known about since childhood gave me a whole new perspective. I would go again in a minute and hope to do so someday.
Go, Israel! Happy Birthday to God's people in the "land of promise"! Shalom!
We should pray for God's peace (shalom) in Jerusalem and all of Israel. We should pray for our Jewish friends in Israel and around the world - for them to find and come to know the true Messiah of God, Yeshua (Jesus). We should pray for heart restoration in Israel. That would be the best way to celebrate 60 years as a nation - to finally find, recognize and know the Messiah, the Promised One (Gen. 3:15)! Then there would be a birthday celebration on earth and in heaven (Luke 15:7, 10) !
No comments:
Post a Comment