Here, There, Everywhere

And a highway will be there;    it will be called the Way of Holiness. Isaiah 35:8a How many things do you own that were made in some far away land? Ships traverse the oceans, trains role along their rails, and trucks trek the interstates. The cargo container was invented half a century ago to aid shipping, mandating a standard size that can be easily loaded onto a large ship, a train, or a truck. About 17 million of these containers exist today! While travel in the ancient world was much harder and longer, trade existed between long distances even then. […]

A Port for Caesar

And when he [Herod] observed that there was a city by the seaside that was much decayed (its name was Strato’s Tower) but that the place, by the happiness of its situation, was capable of great improvements from his liberality, he rebuilt it all with white stone, and adorned it with several most splendid palaces, wherein he especially demonstrated his magnanimity. Josephus, The War of the Jews 1:408 Our third and last ancient seaport is the one commonly visited by tourists: Caesarea. If you’ve ever been there, it’s easy to understand why it’s a common tourist stop: it’s a very […]

Ancient Paths

This is what the LORD says:  “Stand at the crossroads and look;    ask for the ancient paths,  ask where the good way is, and walk in it,    and you will find rest for your souls. Jeremiah 6:16 Last week my work sent me to Savannah, Georgia. This was the first time I have traveled for work, giving me a new opportunity. It was nice to leave cold, snowy Michigan behind for a few days (although it hasn’t been a very cold or snowy winter) and be able to walk around outside without a coat on. Exploring downtown Savannah, I made […]

From Sea to Dusty Sea

The LORD is slow to anger and great in power;   the LORD will not leave the guilty unpunished.His way is in the whirlwind and the storm,   and clouds are the dust of his feet.He rebukes the sea and dries it up;   he makes all the rivers run dry.Bashan and Carmel wither   and the blossoms of Lebanon fade.The mountains quake before him   and the hills melt away.The earth trembles at his presence,   the world and all who live in it. Nahum 1:3-5 I’m falling little behind after a long weekend traversing the Galilee region in northern Israel. We were on the […]