Petra, Jordan

We began the day in the beautiful resort city of Eilat, Israel.  I took an early morning walk with a bright blue sky down to the waterfront of the Red Sea.  Eilat is the southern most city of Israel, providing Israel with a strategic port on the Red Sea.  It is clearly a resort city with numerous hotels.  It is the place were Solomon mined beautiful stone for the temple.

We crossed the border into Jordan and noticed a marked difference immediately.  We traveled p the Kings Highway in the land of Edom.  Edom means red and it is very obvious why it is called such from the red rocks and mountains.  We rode through the land where our Lord led and provided for His people with manna from heaven.  I will never think of the wilderness wanderings the same again!  I was amazed at how the Lord could have provided for 2 million people in such a desolate and rough land.  Our Lord leads us through trials and testings before e brings s to the fulfillment of His promises and fulness of His blessings!  We came to Petra in the valley of Moses.  This is the area where Moses smote the rock twice and therefore was not allowed to enter the land for disobeying the Lord and dishonoring the type God planned of Christ. We saw Mount Hor where Aaron was buried.  Tomorrow we will see Mount Nebo where Moses was allowed to view the land before he died.  How sad to think Moses missed the experience of God's blessings due to his disobedience.  How often we too miss out on God's best for us, because we don't trust and obey Him.

Petra was a phenomenal place.  A place of ornate grave from an ancient people who hoped for an after life more than loving this life.  Bedouins who prepared their tombs more than their homes.  Petra got us around around the local bedouin people where we could sense the culture and the need.  Petra was great, but I think the trip through the wilderness taught me the most today.  Tomorrow the land of Moab!  What a wonder that some of God's people were contented with this side of Jordan, when God had such a better blessing for them on the other side of the Jordan river.  ow often are we contented with this world instead f following the Lord to His greatest promises.

My heart is full and praise the Lord for the privilege to come here!!  I know the best is yet to come.  By God's grace, I must come again and bring others to experience the blessing of seeing this land which brings the Scripture into 3 dimension.