Day 6-9

We spent the day in the coastal plains of Israel. First we went to the Sorek valley and Beth-Shemesh. This site was made famous by Samson. He began there and ended there. A life that started with so much potential. A gifted man. Yet he never was able to reach that potential. His life is stark warning to all those in ministry. The reason for this failure: lack of discipline. His parents didn't really help either. Instead, they acquiesced to his every whim. Perhaps this was because he was an only child. Perhaps it was because they feared his role as a Judge. 

I do not want to be remembered this way. "Hey, remember that Josh guy. Yeah, he could have done so much for the Lord. If he only had more discipline... or self control." May the Lord grant me wisdom and the ability to follow through. 

Next, we went to the Elah valley. Here we reenacted the story of David and Goliath. I got the privilege of playing David. What an amazing story of the faithfulness of God. The life David led was so simple. Tending sheep is a lowly task. Those relegated to doing such a deed weren't prominent people at all. We've seen these shepherd in the modern day setting. It isn't anything to phone home about. Yet this is where God chooses His king for Israel. David was also a musician. Not sure where he got the time to practice his harp... but it seems like he was pretty proficient at it. Yet even with all the faithfulness God showed David, he still had a major fall in his life. This is quite troublesome to me. Can a man after God's own heart really commit adultery? Can this man who loved God so much murder a man? Surely David's heart was more committed to God than mine and if he could fall, how much more can I? At the very least I need a Nathan to keep me on track. And another amazing testament to God is the provision of someone like Nathan. I believe I do have a Nathan in my life and I'm hoping that I will respond in the same way David did...with true repentance. 

Tel-Azekah gave us a great view of the coastal plains and the Shephelah (the low hills)

From there we went to Ashkelon which was the hometown for Herod.