The Rock, The Road and The Rabbi (part 2)

The Rock, The Road, and The Rabbi (part 2)

Mary Frances Logue brought a book to me a few weeks ago before our vacation. She
only asked that I read it and consider it a gift. When we returned I went into their
Sunday School class, head down, to let her know I had not read anything the entire time
I was on vacation. However, I started reading the book the next week and really
enjoyed the stories and information from Kathie Lee Gifford’s book The Rock, The Road,
and The Rabbi. Throughout the book, Kathie shares her experiences of going to Israel
and walking through the steps of Jesus and his disciples. Along with her is a Rabbi
named Jason Sobel who brings Biblical stories to life by sharing history or his own
perspectives that we may neglect in Biblical interpretation. I’ve found the book to be a
joy to read and thought I would share key thoughts with you over the next couple of
weeks that I hope encourage you in your faith.

Chapter 3: The Judean Wilderness
Kathie and her husband take the next part of the trip just down the road from En Gedi
to the wilderness of Judea. There, she reflects on the words of the 23rd Psalm. One
particular section that caught my attention was her view of verse 2; “He makes me to lie
down in green pastures” She writes:
“The truth is, there were no green pastures in Israel at that time-not in the way we think
of rolling, grassy, lush fields. There were only small patches of grass in the Judean
wilderness, barely visible except late in the day when the setting sun caused them to
reflect light. Ray explained that the shepherd’s job was to lead his sheep to these lifegiving spots so that they would be given exactly what they needed for that day. No
more. This kept them in a constant state of trusting.”
God provides what we need for the day because we are never promised tomorrow.
Faith says I will trust the Lord for today and mercy provides even when we don’t
deserve it. Prayerfully consider this passage and Kathy’s observations from The Rock,
The Road, and The Rabbi.

Keep The Faith,
Pastor Tommy