The Brook Kidron

Good morning and welcome to Our Daily Walk.

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Most young boys like to play in a stream or a brook. I know I loved to do that. When in grade school, our small school had a brook that ran behind it. After school we would sometimes go down and work on our various feats of engineering. We’d experiment with placing a dam in one place, or maybe setting some stones to divert the water into a waterfall. There was just something about that small flow of water that really attracted our attention.

The Bible refers to all kinds of bodies of water. Some are the oceans, some are seas, and others are lakes and rivers. But the significance of a body of water need not be in the size or volume of that water. Such is the case of the Brook Kidron.

The Kidron is a valley or ravine near Jerusalem with a wet weather stream. For such a small body of water, this small brook has been the place of quite a few historical events.

David crossed over the brook while escaping from Jerusalem as his own son, Absalom, was chasing him. Notice this reading from 2 Samuel 15:22-23.

So David said to Ittai, “Go, and cross over.” Then Ittai the Gittite and all his men and all the little ones who were with him crossed over. And all the country wept with a loud voice, and all the people crossed over. The king himself also crossed over the Brook Kidron, and all the people crossed over toward the way of the wilderness.

This was seen as a solemn abandonment of the territory of Jerusalem. And the Brook Kidron served as the border for that action.

Later on in 1 Kings 15:13 we read of Asa, who “removed Maachah his grandmother from being queen mother, because she had made an obscene image of Asherah. And Asa cut down her obscene image and burned it by the Brook Kidron.”

When Josiah was in the process of restoring true worship, the young king also used the Brook Kidron as the location for destroying idols. 2 Kings 23:6 is the reference for this. “And he brought out the wooden image from the house of the LORD, to the Brook Kidron outside Jerusalem, burned it at the Brook Kidron and ground it to ashes, and threw its ashes on the graves of the common people.”

There are other references in the Bible to this area. But the one that we find in John comes at the very end of the life of Jesus. It is mentioned on the night of His betrayal. We find this reading in John 18:1-7.

When Jesus had spoken these words, He went out with His disciples over the Brook Kidron, where there was a garden, which He and His disciples entered. And Judas, who betrayed Him, also knew the place; for Jesus often met there with His disciples. Then Judas, having received a detachment of troops, and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, came there with lanterns, torches, and weapons. Jesus therefore, knowing all things that would come upon Him, went forward and said to them, “Whom are you seeking?”

They answered Him, “Jesus of Nazareth.”

Jesus said to them, “I am He.” And Judas, who betrayed Him, also stood with them. Now when He said to them, “I am He,” they drew back and fell to the ground.

Then He asked them again, “Whom are you seeking?”

And they said, “Jesus of Nazareth.”

Interestingly this small brook was the sight of many events as people turned back to God, burning their idols on the banks of that brook. And now we also see Jesus as He crosses this brook to face his betrayal and ultimate death.

Jesus had just finished His marvelous prayer in John 17 when He and the disciples crossed that narrow brook to the other side. Jesus prayed for Himself, the disciples and also for you and me as future believers. He prayed that we might all be one and that we might all know that God and Jesus love us very much.

On Our Daily Walk today, may we take the time to read the prayer of Jesus in John 17 and then reflect upon His desire for us to follow Him. May we know His love for us that led to His own death, and may we be encouraged to live faithfully for Him.

Our thought for the day: “We are never alone when we are alone with Jesus.”

May God bless you on your daily walk.

© Our Daily Walk, Mike Baker, 2007. Permission is granted to copy these articles provided they are not sold and the author's name and copyright are included.

The Jordan River

Good morning and welcome to Our Daily Walk.

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Several years ago while on a medical mission trip to Guyana, South America, we were able to cross one of the longest floating bridges in the world. The Demerara Harbor Bridge crosses the Demerara River near Georgetown and is over a mile long. Built on floating pontoons, this bridge rises and falls with the tides as it crosses the very dirty, nasty looking Demerara River.

Some rivers or lakes I wouldn’t mind jumping into, but I don’t think you could have paid me enough money to get into that water. In fact, our baptisms there in previous years had been performed in the waters of the canals. Some people would stand guard with long sticks to keep away snakes or alligators while the baptisms took place. Now that would be a test of faith for sure!

We are very particular about our water in our culture. If it doesn’t look right or smell right we just won’t use it or drink it. I’m sure many people can remember well water that had a high level of sulfur in it. That rotten egg smell just doesn’t help my appetite.

Did you know that in the United States the average person drinks about 25 gallons of bottled water a year? The bottled water industry has annual revenue of over $10 Billion. But for the majority of our citizens, the public tap water is just as good for us. We don’t want just good enough water. We want the best.

The Jordan River is the most important river in Palestine. It runs for 100 miles and empties into the Dead Sea. Many notable events happened in or around this river.

Jesus was baptized in this river by John the Baptist. We find that account in Matthew 3:13-17.

In Joshua chapter 3 we find that the Israelites, after forty years of wandering in the wilderness, finally are able to cross the Jordan into the Promised Land. We are told there that as the priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant stepped into the river that the waters of the river were cut off and all of the people were able to cross the Jordan on dry land. What a wonderful sight that must have been.

But there was another event that happened in the Jordan River that I’d like to review. That is the case of Naaman and his leprosy. Naaman had been to see the king of Israel, but he was not the one who could cure him. So Naaman is then called to see Elisha. We find this in 2 Kings 5:8-14.

So it was, when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, “Why have you torn your clothes? Please let him come to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel.”

Then Naaman went with his horses and chariot, and he stood at the door of Elisha's house. And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored to you, and you shall be clean.” But Naaman became furious, and went away and said, “Indeed, I said to myself, ‘He will surely come out to me, and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, and wave his hand over the place, and heal the leprosy.’ Are not the Abanah and the Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?” So he turned and went away in a rage. And his servants came near and spoke to him, and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do something great, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he says to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’?” So he went down and dipped seven times in the Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.

Earlier I said that I don’t think any amount of money could cause me to jump into those nasty waters in South America. But if someone fell in and was drowning, well, I think that I’d be more than willing to jump in to rescue someone else.

Money alone is not a motivator for such things. But the right purpose is. Naaman saw the Jordan River as a nasty river, far below his standards of what a man of his status would accept. It wasn’t until he found the proper reason that he willingly went into that water and dipped seven times until he was clean.

On Our Daily Walk today, may we learn to see God’s plan for us from His perspective of knowing what is best. May we not be sidetracked by the surface so as to not see the real blessings that lie underneath.

Our thought for the day: “Never argue with your doctor. He has inside information.”

May God bless you on your daily walk.

© Our Daily Walk, Mike Baker, 2007. Permission is granted to copy these articles provided they are not sold and the author's name and copyright are included.

The Dead Sea

Good morning and welcome to Our Daily Walk.

Audio version at http://tinyurl.com/2flv23

At times you can come upon a pond in a field and see that it is covered over with algae or dried up or otherwise in poor condition. Dead fish may be floating on the surface and it becomes evident that this is not a healthy pond. It is dead or dying.

Conditions need to be right to provide the proper environment for life and growth. Either living on dry land or under water, the same basic principles apply. If a required element is withheld, death will occur.

We need water to survive. Our bodies are made up of about 55-60% water. Drinking water helps to keep our bodies in good shape. But too much water can be a bad thing.

Even though we occasionally suffer through drought, water is really very plentiful here. 71% of the earth’s surface is covered by water. This comes in two forms—salt water and fresh water. Of course, there is more water than just on the surface. Ground water tables help to provide for well water and springs and also play an important role in the earth’s own filtration system.

Water that falls as rain or is discharged after use will seep down in the earth and will be filtered. Then it is drawn up through wells, or runs into streams or through springs as better water. God knew what He was doing when He created this ole earth.

But that makes us wonder why there is a body of water known as the Dead Sea. The Dead Sea is 50 miles long and 10 miles wide. The Jordan River empties into it and I’m sure that most of us have seen this on the maps in the back of our Bibles.

This is a nasty body of water. It is at the lowest point on earth and is sometimes referred to as the Asphalt Sea because asphalt is discharged in small pellets. The surface is 1,378 feet below sea level and the depth is some 1,300 feet in some places.

There is no outlet for this sea. The water that flows there simply accumulates and then evaporates. There is a very high concentration of salt and other mineral solids in that water as well. In fact, the oceans have about 4-6% solids suspended in their saltwater, but the Dead Sea has an amazing 30-33% solids suspended in it.

Nothing can live in the Dead Sea. And because of the suspended salt and minerals, you can’t even swim in it. Maybe you’ve seen pictures of people who visited the Dead Sea and were photographed floating on the surface as if they were on an air raft.

That water is so buoyant that it is difficult to sink your limbs into the water in order to swim. Not that you would ever want to do so.

This sea was mentioned in the Bible as part of the border for the Israelites in the land of Canaan. And it is commonly known also as the general area where a great destruction took place long ago—the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.

You remember this story. Lot and Abraham and divided up this land and Lot had chosen the best land. But sin and depravity had overtaken that land and soon Lot and his family were all that remained of the righteous people.

God then arranged for Lot and his family to escape before the destruction took place. His sons-in-law refused, thinking that Lot was joking. And Lot’s own wife disobeyed the instructions and looked back and became a pillar of salt. But Lot and his daughters did survive that terrible event.

We find this in Genesis 19:24-29.

Then the LORD rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from the LORD out of the heavens. So He overthrew those cities, all the plain, all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground.

But his wife looked back behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.

And Abraham went early in the morning to the place where he had stood before the LORD. Then he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain; and he saw, and behold, the smoke of the land which went up like the smoke of a furnace. And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when He overthrew the cities in which Lot had dwelt.

While the exact locations of these cities are not known, generally they are believed to be at the southern most end of the Dead Sea. Friends, this used to be a fertile place, so much so that Lot chose that as the good land and left Abraham with the lesser land. But now we only know of it as a place of death and that is because of sin and its consequences.

On Our Daily Walk today, may we reflect this hour on just how marvelous our earth and bodies are and how we are wonderfully made by our God. May we take the time to thank God today for our ever-replenishing resources and for His favor upon us.

Our thought for the day: “The most fitting response to undeserved blessing is unreserved obedience.”

May God bless you on your daily walk.

© Our Daily Walk, Mike Baker, 2007. Permission is granted to copy these articles provided they are not sold and the author's name and copyright are included.

The Nile River

Good morning and welcome to Our Daily Walk.

Audio version at http://tinyurl.com/2aovgn

I was born just a few miles away from the Ohio River. That river feeds into the Mississippi River which is the second longest river in the United States. Both rivers were prone to yearly flooding so many of the cities along these rivers erected flood walls to keep the water out. These rivers became great sources of livelihood for the surrounding areas.

The Nile River is 4,160 miles long and is regarded as the longest river in the world. It goes through Africa and Egypt before finally flowing into the Mediterranean Sea. Like the rivers of our country, the Nile was prone to flooding. An annual flood of the river was needed to help increase the fertility of the surrounding farmland. Isaiah speaks of this in Isaiah 23:10.

Zechariah spoke of the impact of the Nile river when he decreed God’s judgment against Egypt speaking of drying up the Nile. Zechariah 10:11 says, “He shall pass through the sea with affliction, And strike the waves of the sea: All the depths of the River shall dry up. Then the pride of Assyria shall be brought down, And the scepter of Egypt shall depart.”

There are several references to this important body of water in the Bible. But the most remembered is perhaps in the story of Moses. We find this reading in Exodus 2:1-10.

And a man of the house of Levi went and took as wife a daughter of Levi. So the woman conceived and bore a son. And when she saw that he was a beautiful child, she hid him three months. But when she could no longer hide him, she took an ark of bulrushes for him, daubed it with asphalt and pitch, put the child in it, and laid it in the reeds by the river's bank. And his sister stood afar off, to know what would be done to him.

Then the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river. And her maidens walked along the riverside; and when she saw the ark among the reeds, she sent her maid to get it. And when she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the baby wept. So she had compassion on him, and said, “This is one of the Hebrews' children.”

Then his sister said to Pharaoh's daughter, “Shall I go and call a nurse for you from the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for you?”

And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, “Go.” So the maiden went and called the child's mother. Then Pharaoh's daughter said to her, “Take this child away and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages.” So the woman took the child and nursed him. And the child grew, and she brought him to Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. So she called his name Moses, saying, “Because I drew him out of the water.”

Now here’s a bit of trivia that you might want to remember. Ask someone how old Moses was when he went on the ark. They will probably say, “You mean Noah, don’t you? Moses didn’t go on the ark.” Then you can refer them back to this reading in Exodus 2 where Jochebed, the mother of Moses, put the three month old Moses into an ark of bulrushes.

God had been looking out for Moses his entire life. He helped save him from Pharoah, and 80 years later God appears to Moses in the burning bush and tells him that he is the chosen one to free the people from their captivity.

On Our Daily Walk today, may we take a few minutes in prayer this day to thank God for His protection over our lives. May we learn to appreciate even more our daily blessings and never forget to return our gratitude to God.

Our thought for the day: “Whatever seeming calamity happens to you, if you thank God and praise him for it you turn it into a blessing.” William Law

May God bless you on your daily walk.

© Our Daily Walk, Mike Baker, 2007. Permission is granted to copy these articles provided they are not sold and the author's name and copyright are included.

The Red Sea

Good morning and welcome to Our Daily Walk.

Audio version at http://tinyurl.com/ys98ws

In our culture heroes are praised. Some even receive parades or medals of honor. But after some time passes most heroes and their heroic acts are diminished in our minds or forgotten altogether. Can you imagine what it would be like to be a hero who saved a few dozen people from death and later find out that no one remembered or cared about what you had done?

One of the great miracles of the Old Testament is found in the deliverance of the children of Israel from Egyptian captivity. You recall how Moses and Aaron approached Pharaoh and demanded that he let the people go. Ten plagues were caused to come upon the people before he finally said, “go.”

The crossing of the Red Sea has been one of my favorite stories for many years. Yet many people today doubt that it actually happened. This body of water is located between Egypt and Arabia and is also called the Sea of Reeds due to the reed marshes found on its shores. Some speculate that the Israelites crossed this body of water when it was only inches deep. They say this to try to explain away the fact that God separated the waters and the people went through on dry land.

Of course, what this argument lacks is a proper explanation of how God could then have drowned the entire Egyptian army in only inches of water!

Notice this reading from Exodus 14:21-31.

Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea into dry land, and the waters were divided. So the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea on the dry ground, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. And the Egyptians pursued and went after them into the midst of the sea, all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen.

Now it came to pass, in the morning watch, that the LORD looked down upon the army of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and cloud, and He troubled the army of the Egyptians. And He took off their chariot wheels, so that they drove them with difficulty; and the Egyptians said, “Let us flee from the face of Israel, for the LORD fights for them against the Egyptians.”

Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the waters may come back upon the Egyptians, on their chariots, and on their horsemen.” And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and when the morning appeared, the sea returned to its full depth, while the Egyptians were fleeing into it. So the LORD overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. Then the waters returned and covered the chariots, the horsemen, and all the army of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them. Not so much as one of them remained. But the children of Israel had walked on dry land in the midst of the sea, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.

So the LORD saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. Thus Israel saw the great work which the LORD had done in Egypt; so the people feared the LORD, and believed the LORD and His servant Moses.

Now the unfortunate thing about this account is that the hero status of God soon fell as the Israelites began to complain and actually wish that they were back in Egypt as slaves. How soon we forget those events which free us from our bondage!

Friends, is it possible that we also may forget God at times? Do we sometimes forget the tremendous blessing we have to be free from the consequences of our sins?

Sometimes people actually withdraw their worship from God when things go badly. We forget the blessings of grace, mercy, forgiveness and love. Instead, we ought to praise God as Moses did in Exodus 15:1, 11, when he was singing of the deliverance of the people. “I will sing to the Lord, For He has triumphed gloriously! The horse and its rider He has thrown into the sea!” “Who is like You O Lord, among the gods? Who is like You, glorious in holiness, Fearful in praises, doing wonders?” No one is like God. Only God is.

On Our Daily Walk today, may we reflect deeply upon the miracles that God has provided so that we may believe on Him. May we dedicate our lives to never forgetting that God is our hero. He has rescued us from being eternally lost.

Our thought for the day: “God has promised forgiveness for your repentance, but he has not promised tomorrow for your procrastination.”

May God bless you on your daily walk.

© Our Daily Walk, Mike Baker, 2007. Permission is granted to copy these articles provided they are not sold and the author's name and copyright are included.

The Sea Of Galilee

Good morning and welcome to Our Daily Walk.

Audio version at http://tinyurl.com/ytwoh3

Perhaps you have been to personally see some of the places where Jesus walked upon the earth. If so, you are greatly blessed. I haven’t been yet, and I don’t know that I’ll ever get the chance to walk where our Savior walked. But I would imagine it is a very humbling experience to see these places. To gaze out over the Sea of Galilee and recall the miracles of Jesus would be an especially great experience. 18 of the 33 recorded miracles of Jesus were most likely done very close to this body of water.

The Sea of Galilee is known by other names as well in the Bible. It is also referred to as the Sea of Chinneroth, the Lake of Gennesaret and the Sea of Tiberias. It is a very important body of water, providing for the livelihood of many people.

The sea itself is some 700 feet below sea level and is about 150 feet deep in some places. It is 13 miles long and 8 miles wide and is fed by the Jordan River.

If you look at a map of Palestine in the back of your Bible you will note that most of the towns and cities around the Sea of Galilee are on the north and west shore of that body of water. The reason for this is that there are very steep slopes on the other sides. Bethsaida, Capernaum and Tiberias are some of the places named in the Bible that are on the shores of this body of water.

Storms could quickly arise on the sea. Situated below sea level, this sea, which is more accurately a large lake, is surrounded by high mountains. Cool air from the mountains rushes down and mixes with the very warm air on the surface of the water. This sometimes results in sudden and violent storms.

Mark 1:16-20 tells us that Jesus walked by the Sea of Galilee and there He found Simon and Andrew who were casting a net into the sea. He called them out and said, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” Mark 1:17. Then He also saw James and John in their boats and likewise called them to come. They left their nets in the boat with their father and followed Jesus.

The feeding of the 5,000 happened near this water. This is the only miracle of Jesus that is found in all four gospels. Can you imagine what it would be like to be near that place? Just picture in your mind this great crowd of people following Jesus around and then sitting down in groups of 50’s and 100’s.

The Sea of Galilee was also the place where Jesus walked on water. We find the following in John 6:15-21.

Therefore when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone.

Now when evening came, His disciples went down to the sea, got into the boat, and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was already dark, and Jesus had not come to them. Then the sea arose because a great wind was blowing. So when they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near the boat; and they were afraid. But He said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” Then they willingly received Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land where they were going.

I’ve seen many pictures of the Sea of Galilee as well as some of the towns and land that surround this body of water. Maybe one day I’ll be able to go there in person and walk around a portion of that lake. I think that would be a very gratifying time in my life.

But I don’t have to physically go there to believe what God says happened around that area. I don’t have to know the exact place where the 5,000 sat down to eat to believe that it happened.

I believe that Jesus healed, taught and walked in that region. I believe that he walked upon the surface of that water and that it was under His control. I believe because God has provided us all with a wonderful record of the life of our Lord. Thanks be to God for His great love for us.

On Our Daily Walk today, may we continue to be good students of the word of God and look to learn something each time we open up our Bibles. May we take some time today to reflect on what it must have been like to actually witness Jesus walking and healing while here on earth.

Our thought for the day: “Keep your Bible open and you will not find the door to heaven shut.”

May God bless you on your daily walk.

© Our Daily Walk, Mike Baker, 2007. Permission is granted to copy these articles provided they are not sold and the author's name and copyright are included.