Discovering Treasure in His Land

Written by Mindy Lehehan based on interview with Linda Reppert

If you were to walk with me onto Israeli ground, you could not help but be taken back by the extensive desert, rugged terrain and rocky hillsides. Yet there remains something striking about the perilous and unattractive land. Countless wars have been fought here. Jerusalem leveled 18 times and built again. Conquered 37 times and changed human hands 86 times, yet one thing always remained. This land is His. The territory He promised to His people. The land He chose to walk as a man, tell the beautiful gospel story that embraces the whole world.

There truly is no other country like Israel. But why would the God of the universe pick this place to reveal what some call His fifth gospel*? Why, with the world at His feet, did He not settle His people among the majestic mountains of Switzerland or the tropical beaches of Hawaii? But one does not walk with Him for long before we learn; He does all things on purpose.

Nothing about this land speaks of an effortless life. From the lack of rain to the constant combat, living here requires faith and some serious prayer. Knowing what we need better than we do, God provides for His people a place demanding total dependence on Him to survive. As David beautifully penned, “Oh God, you are my God, earnestly I see you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.” (Psalm 63:1) In the heart of a vast desert, the Lord found the perfect location for the Holy to enter into relationship with the human. Survival meant trust in Him alone.

There are limitless lessons to be learned from this distinctive land. Physically walking in the desert allows familiar Scripture to come alive. You can see the valley of the shadow; better understand the parable of the seeds. But long after returning home, it still continues to speak. Passages in the Bible normally skimmed over suddenly come alive. There are lessons in the wilderness, in the rocks, in the water. So much wisdom buried here; we could never reach the bottom. All have impact on our lives today.

The Lord has seen fit to remove me from the tennis courts but has given me the privilege of walking in His courts – His land. Will you join me in an archeological dig of sorts as we uncover some beautiful treasures hidden in the terrain of Israel and in the riches of God’s Word? Once you uncover one gem, you often find another…and the journey continues deeper and deeper into the heart of God. And maybe you also will find yourself loving the land He loves.

*My tour guide referred to the land as the fifth gospel. I found this interesting since the details of the land clearly reinforce the message of the four gospels – God loves us, came to rescue us from our sin through the death of Jesus and is alive preparing a place for us in eternity.