The View From Mt. Nebo

Above is the view of the "promise land" from the top of Mt. Nebo... just as lush and green as you imagined, right? I'd also like to remind you that this picture was taking just after the rainy season.

I am so grateful for having received this opportunity to spend a semester in Israel. The majority of my days were eye opening, mind blowing, and life changing. I’ve experience more in these short months than I have in my entire life previous. And I’m sure the remaining years God decides to grant me on this earth will be spent unpacking this incredible experience. The reality of my time in this land surpassed all of my expectations, and the gratitude I feel right now is more than overwhelming. Every time I look across the landscape of Jerusalem from the rooftop view of my room, I feel unworthy of such a grace and can only imagine the grace stored up for me in the age to come if this is the grace granted to me now. I can’t express my appreciation for all the thoughts and prayers of my friends and family back home. I definitely believe it was those prayers that made this experience what it was –difficult, challenging, uncomfortable, haunting, sleepless, weighty, and full of joy. I can’t thank you enough.

This trip was truly a wilderness experience for me (that is the best way I know how to describe it). Like the Israelites wandering in the wilderness after the Exodus, Jesus going into the wilderness after his baptism, and Paul spending 3 years in the wilderness of Arabia after his Damascus road conversion, I too felt drawn into such a wilderness season. Detached from all familiarity and normality, God took me into the wilderness to teach me the path of a disciple. And very quickly, I leaned the only path of a true disciple of Christ is the Calvary road. I had often hoped that this semester would be a sort of mystical, spiritual high, but the reality was much different. This semester was real and grounding, as I felt a consistency of the Spirit moving, purging, and refining within me throughout all of my days in Israel. But now I am leaving the wilderness and plunging back into the realities of everyday life. Like Moses, I stand on Mt. Nebo, gazing into the land of promise; and if God allows, I will leave this wilderness and enter the land. But I am filled with much uncertainty, because everything I’ve learned in the wilderness will now tested. My season of preparation is over. The time has come for me take action; the time has come for me to enter the land. And if I’ve learned anything from my experience in Israel, it is this –the “promise land” is not a promise of God giving his children everything they want, but a promise of God caring for his children no matter what. And with the promise of such a faithful God despite the faithlessness of his children, I can boldly enter the land.

Confident in the promise,
Danny

The End

I just finished all my work after a Greek and Hebrew test today…. I couldn’t feel better. It’s the completion of my first almost real semester of college. We’ll have to wait till next year for a real semester of college completed.

This will be my last blog post. I’ll be in Jordan from Saturday till Thursday, then leaving for home on Friday afternoon and get in late in the day to Cleveland the same day. So for this last one, I wanted to thank you all for following and for praying. God has been revealing, convicting, encouraging and strengthening me while being away, and I think I will always look back on this time as shaping and valuable- intellectually, but especially spiritually.

The biggest lesson I’ve learned about God, and in my relation to him is just how far I am from being the Godly man I desire to be. I’ve realized I don’t even know where to start but on my knees when it comes to that. I don’t know how to lead, but I desire to grow in that area. I want to be a fearless, bold, humble, meek leader of men. I want to “Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let everything you do be done in love” as Paul commanded the Corinthians. That’s my vision, but I’ve realized I’m lost in that pursuit. I’m striving with all I am towards that goal, and hope you continue to pray for me in that effort. I’ve made a lot of plans this summer to be taught many leadership lessons from people I highly respect, so hopefully God continues to mold and shape me into this.

During this last week, I just have one more prayer request of you. Just as an aside, I was reading yesterday, and read about how Paul constantly asked for prayers for himself and his ministry. I wonder how much power Paul possessed was due to the prayers of the saints for Paul. If Paul, who had such spiritual power and influence, pleads with prayer, I figure I should get in that habit early. But anyway, I ask you to pray for this last week to continue to renew and refresh my vision of God and His mission for me. God’s been incredibly gracious in answering that prayer thus far, but I always long for more of Him, and would love the Spirit to pour into and out of me as I return home. So, not only for this last week, but for the transition period as well- that I’ll continue hold Him in preeminence in my life.

Thanks again for all your prayers and all your support.

Looking forward to see you soon.
Sos