En Gedi and the Dead Sea? Great! Hiking up Nahal Arugot and the Ascent of Ziz? Not so great.
Before lunch on Friday, Bill prepared us for our next big trip on Sunday. We were going to hike all around En Gedi and the nature reserve there, hike straight up a rather large looking mountain (the Ascent of Ziz), and then hike back down to the Dead Sea. I was really excited for the trip, but I was also really nervous. Hiking is not my best friend. I'm so miserably out of shape I can barely make it up the stairs to breakfast in the morning without huffing and puffing. From what Bill said, this sounded like it was going to be an intense hike in an intense climate. Indeed it was. The Judean Wilderness is pretty rugged. There's a reason David chose to hide from Saul there. It's next to impossible to run around the canyons and mountains without dying of thirst, starvation, or falling off a cliff somehwere. It's pretty rugged terrain, and there's hardly any water. Pictures of previous groups hiking the trail looked daunting. Tiny trails on the sides of cliffs surrounded by desert dirt brown for miles around. Again, I was nervous.
I woke up this morning at 5:30am, hoping to be on the bus by 7. All morning long, I dreaded looking like a complete wuss dragging myself up those trails. I asked God to give me the grace to make it through. Hours later, we arrived at the nature reserve. Random side note: I've officially seen an ibex. In real life. Anyway, the trail was relatively flat for a long time. Bill took us through trails with springs and tiny streams. We tromped through tiny brooks and got endless amounts of pebbles in our shoes. The surrounding canyon was absolutely breath taking. We jumped into various pools and waterfalls to cool off along the way. However, if you wander anywhere else in this wilderness, you won't find a drop of water. At any rate, I had a blast (I was super grateful for my waterproof camera). We hiked back out, had lunch, and then headed over to the Ascent of Ziz. So far, there were only tiny bits of the trail that had me out of breath. I was actually keeping up with the group just fine. It seemed like I was nervous for no reason at all.
The Ascent of Ziz isn't called an ascent for nothing. It must have only been a few minutes into our hike, and I was out of breath. Looking ahead, the trail just kept going straight up at a pretty steep incline. Like an idiot, I started to get nervous again. What if I can't keep up? What if I'm the last one in line going super slow and look like a complete idiot? A few minutes later, my fears were realized. My throat closed almost all the way up, and I was having a really hard time breathing. I had to stop to breathe. Several friends stopped with me to make sure I was alright, and then proceeded to encourage me and help me up the rest of the way. Some of the guys insisted on carrying my backpack for me too. Praise God for faithful and kind friends! The whole experience was so humbling for me. I'm a pretty stubborn person, so asking for help isn't one of my strong points. When I can't carry my own weight, I feel so awful because someone else has to help pick up the slack. Most of it is completely my own pride. But God had something to teach me that was so much better than having my ego return in one piece.
Halfway up the Ascent, we reached a spring with a pool. The water was the most refreshing water I've ever sat in. Bill began to read a Psalm.
Before lunch on Friday, Bill prepared us for our next big trip on Sunday. We were going to hike all around En Gedi and the nature reserve there, hike straight up a rather large looking mountain (the Ascent of Ziz), and then hike back down to the Dead Sea. I was really excited for the trip, but I was also really nervous. Hiking is not my best friend. I'm so miserably out of shape I can barely make it up the stairs to breakfast in the morning without huffing and puffing. From what Bill said, this sounded like it was going to be an intense hike in an intense climate. Indeed it was. The Judean Wilderness is pretty rugged. There's a reason David chose to hide from Saul there. It's next to impossible to run around the canyons and mountains without dying of thirst, starvation, or falling off a cliff somehwere. It's pretty rugged terrain, and there's hardly any water. Pictures of previous groups hiking the trail looked daunting. Tiny trails on the sides of cliffs surrounded by desert dirt brown for miles around. Again, I was nervous.
I woke up this morning at 5:30am, hoping to be on the bus by 7. All morning long, I dreaded looking like a complete wuss dragging myself up those trails. I asked God to give me the grace to make it through. Hours later, we arrived at the nature reserve. Random side note: I've officially seen an ibex. In real life. Anyway, the trail was relatively flat for a long time. Bill took us through trails with springs and tiny streams. We tromped through tiny brooks and got endless amounts of pebbles in our shoes. The surrounding canyon was absolutely breath taking. We jumped into various pools and waterfalls to cool off along the way. However, if you wander anywhere else in this wilderness, you won't find a drop of water. At any rate, I had a blast (I was super grateful for my waterproof camera). We hiked back out, had lunch, and then headed over to the Ascent of Ziz. So far, there were only tiny bits of the trail that had me out of breath. I was actually keeping up with the group just fine. It seemed like I was nervous for no reason at all.
The Ascent of Ziz isn't called an ascent for nothing. It must have only been a few minutes into our hike, and I was out of breath. Looking ahead, the trail just kept going straight up at a pretty steep incline. Like an idiot, I started to get nervous again. What if I can't keep up? What if I'm the last one in line going super slow and look like a complete idiot? A few minutes later, my fears were realized. My throat closed almost all the way up, and I was having a really hard time breathing. I had to stop to breathe. Several friends stopped with me to make sure I was alright, and then proceeded to encourage me and help me up the rest of the way. Some of the guys insisted on carrying my backpack for me too. Praise God for faithful and kind friends! The whole experience was so humbling for me. I'm a pretty stubborn person, so asking for help isn't one of my strong points. When I can't carry my own weight, I feel so awful because someone else has to help pick up the slack. Most of it is completely my own pride. But God had something to teach me that was so much better than having my ego return in one piece.
Halfway up the Ascent, we reached a spring with a pool. The water was the most refreshing water I've ever sat in. Bill began to read a Psalm.
"A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah. O God, You are my God; earnestly I seek You; my soul thirsts for You; my flesh faints for You, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water." - Psalm 63
"He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul..." - Psalm 23
"As the deer pants for flowing streams, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God..." - Psalm 42
I was in a dry and weary land where there is no water; the same location David was writing about. I was thirsty. My flesh was fainting. Other psalms came to my mind.
The picture was never clearer.
Again, we became to climb. That spring was so refreshing. I didn't have as much trouble with this half of the climb. One of the most glorious views I've ever seen in my life greeted us at the top. The Dead Sea sparkled in the sunlight below us, canyons and mountains cut into the skyline from behind us. Again, Bill opened the Word. In 2 Chronicles 20, we find a story of a battle. Jehoshaphat is about to be attacked by a coalition of three nations. The chronicler records his response. Go read the chapter. Seriously. I'm going to summarize, but go read the whole chapter.
Again, we became to climb. That spring was so refreshing. I didn't have as much trouble with this half of the climb. One of the most glorious views I've ever seen in my life greeted us at the top. The Dead Sea sparkled in the sunlight below us, canyons and mountains cut into the skyline from behind us. Again, Bill opened the Word. In 2 Chronicles 20, we find a story of a battle. Jehoshaphat is about to be attacked by a coalition of three nations. The chronicler records his response. Go read the chapter. Seriously. I'm going to summarize, but go read the whole chapter.
"Then Jehoshaphat was afraid and set his face to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. ... and [Jehoshaphat] said, "O LORD, God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. In Your hand are power and might, so that none is able to withstand you. ... O our God, will You not execute judgment on them? For we are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on You."
Jehoshaphat and all Judah fall on their faces and worship the Lord. The next day, they go out like the Lord said. Jehoshaphat sends out singers in the front lines to meet the enemy. They sing,
"Give thanks fo the LORD, for His steadfast love endures forever."
God takes care of the enemy, causing them to basically kill each other off, and the battle is won. How on earth did the choir win a battle? Simple. Jehoshaphat trusted in God's strength rather than his own.
I was in a dry and weary land where there is no water. I was thirsty. My flesh was fainting. I was trusting in my own strength to get me through it, and I Was failing miserably. I didn't know what to do. What did Jehoshaphat do when he didn't know what to do? He turned his eyes to the Lord. He waited for the Lord. He trusted in the Lord to take care of him. He leaned on the Lord's strength and not his own. He didn't worry or thinking, "What if I look like a wuss or an idiot in front of the Moabites and their friends?" He just leaned on the Lord. Jehoshaphat was leading a nation into a potentially devastating battle. I was just trying to hike up a mountain. Another psalm popped into my head.
I was in a dry and weary land where there is no water. I was thirsty. My flesh was fainting. I was trusting in my own strength to get me through it, and I Was failing miserably. I didn't know what to do. What did Jehoshaphat do when he didn't know what to do? He turned his eyes to the Lord. He waited for the Lord. He trusted in the Lord to take care of him. He leaned on the Lord's strength and not his own. He didn't worry or thinking, "What if I look like a wuss or an idiot in front of the Moabites and their friends?" He just leaned on the Lord. Jehoshaphat was leading a nation into a potentially devastating battle. I was just trying to hike up a mountain. Another psalm popped into my head.
"Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!" - Psalm 27:14
2 Chronicles of all places. There was no denying what God was teaching me. This whole trip, all of my struggles revolved around finding my worth, comfort, and strength in God and not in myself or others. I knew I had to rely on the Lord, but I hadn't the foggiest idea how to do that. All of those thoughts, roomie conversations, and inner struggles came to this. I've never had a clearer pictures of what it means to rely on God's strength instead of my own. When I was weak, weary, and all around wussing out, He was there. His strength is perfect when mine is gone. And I've never seen it so clearly before. In my failings and my broken pride, God's grace and might shines through even clearer. Praise God for His unending faithfulness to His children; now, and in Jehoshaphat's time.
As I floated in the Dead Sea for the first time, several other verses popped into my head.
As I floated in the Dead Sea for the first time, several other verses popped into my head.
I ascended the Ascent of Ziz. And I descended forever changed.
"And I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." - Philippians 1:6
"But He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.'" - 2 Corinthians 12:9