These metal type homes were seen throughout our ride especially when we were headed to Jerusalem......They are the homes of Bedouin's............Bedouin's are quintessential Arab's who are (nomad herdsman), dressed in flowing robes, some riding camels across the sands, pitching tents or ramshackle structures usually made of prefabricated metals.
Some 20 percent of Israel's 150,000 Bedouin people live in the Galilee and the coastal plain in village's in a more traditional manner. They have NO running water or electricity......
(More prefabricated metal homes); The government of Israel has tried to confine certain areas for the Bedouin's and have been generous in giving them areas with excellent farming land. Some Bedouin's have made it difficult for the government to plan certain villages for them to have by refusing to move to certain areas.....choosing instead to live more traditionally with their dwellings spread out all over the desert.........
A large number of Bedouin's still herd sheep and goats........they are incredible farmers and know how to utilize ancient water cisterns, which they have excavated....................Most still practice having more than one wife....
Bedouin's are not conscripted into the Israel Defense Forces, but many of them serve as scouts and trackers, utilizing their traditional skills, and some have even moved up in rank for their expertise....................................
We were headed into the Ein Gedi Nature Reserve and these adorable small goats that could literally stand in the trees just melted our hearts.....
They were very small in size and didn't seem to have any fear of us. Our guide told us that they do not have predators...(this being the reason they didn't have any fear).....Amy and I wanted to bring one home.....lol
I have never seen an animal just hang out standing and eating in trees.........
After seeing these precious animals who had no fear it made me think of how many times in my life that I have allowed fear to take over.............Fear is not of God.....These little goats didn't live in fear....it was like they looked at us with excitement...."anticipation"....Isn't that how we are supposed to live? "Anticipation?" Waiting.....waiting for the return of our Lord.....
We are supposed to be living our lives in "anticipation," for what is coming!!!! With the assurance of PEACE.........because what is coming is so much better than what is here.............
This life is a "JOURNEY," it can and will be difficult sometimes.....it will not make sense to us at times.....But God didn't even make it easy on his own son!!!!!!! We will never figure God out, no matter how hard we try!!! He sent His own son on a "JOURNEY," He allowed Jesus to be hungry, tired, but the difference in Jesus is; He relied on PRAYER, FASTING, and spending time with the Father.....Do I rely on ME? Or do I rely on God? How about you? On this "JOURNEY," called "LIFE," we have to at some point, give up our will, keep our eyes on Jesus and TRUST IN HIM...........God did not send His only son to die for us so when we prayed to Him we could bless ourselves.........We are craving the convenient and the comfort of our own lives.........What is wrong with us???? We are missing the very essence of who God is and what He wants..........Yes He could defeat our enemies, Yes He could solve all our problems with one exhale of His very breath......but He is soooooooo much deeper than that......
Sometimes God Himself will send us to that inconvenient place in our lives, to grow us, to teach us, to shape us, to burn off the impurities...........and sometimes it could be to save our very souls.........
A relationship with Jesus is not a FEELING..........He may not make you comfortable in your current situation but HE WILL BRING YOU COMFORT!!!!!
I know in my heart that I can't trust my feelings.......the emotional part of who I am....they can and will lead us astray.....feelings cause me to react in the flesh.......it is almost like if I don't feel God then I don't think He is with me................
I am praying for God to remove my necessity of always wanting to FEEL something..... when sometimes God may have us in a place where there isn't a whole lot of FEELING going on.....Oh how I pray for God to get me to that place where my FAITH is because of what His word says and not what I FEEL....
God's word is there to strengthen us....but we have to open it and read it first!!!! The most important thing in the this world has to be a closer RELATIONSHIP with Jesus......and guess what? It will NOT happen while we are sitting around in the easy being comfortable!!!!!!
praying for God to remove the necessity for me to feel something,
Robbie
