Sunday, January 8, 2012

An Ancient City


We are now staying in Nazareth. We are staying right next to the place where tradition tells us that the Angel Gabriel came to Mary and asked her to be the mother of Jesus. We will be here for three days. It is such a grace to be able to walk around the town where Jesus spent the first thirty years of his life!
Today we went to a place called Megiddo. Megiddo is the place written about in the Old Testament where King Josiah fought with King Neco, the king of Egypt. During the battle, King Josiah was shot and killed. It was overwhelming to visit the site of Megiddo because we were standing in an area of ancient history. We walked through an actual gate and stood on the same stones that date back to 1000 BC. We also went underground into a deep well, and we saw many different walls and structures.
As I reflect on the site of Megiddo, I realize the importance of the message of Biblical history for our time. Throughout the Old Testament the Israelites believed that by following God’s precepts, they received His blessing. When they didn’t follow his ways, they fell into destruction. God is with us at every moment of our lives. He wants us to constantly open our hearts to him and listen to his guidance so that we will avoid pain and destruction and be filled with his blessings. May we always seek the guidance and protection of our Lord.  Let us also pray for God’s blessings upon our world leaders to stand up for all that is just and that God will bless our country and world and protect us from pain and error.

No comments:

Post a Comment