ARTICLES

“Let My people go, so that they can serve Me” (Exodus 7:16).

Freedom captivates every heart. From the earliest stories of humanity, the longing to be free has shaped our dreams and driven our pursuits.

The Exodus stands as one of history’s most powerful accounts of liberation—God Himself intervening to rescue His people from centuries of bondage. This narrative was so revolutionary that slaveholders in America once distributed Bibles that deliberately omitted the book of Exodus, fearing its impact on the enslaved.

Today, as followers of Jesus, we often speak about freedom in Christ. We celebrate that we have been delivered—freed from sin, shame, and spiritual death. But what is this freedom ultimately for?

Scripture makes it clear: God doesn’t simply set captives free so they can wander aimlessly. He delivers us to belong to Him, to worship Him, and to serve His purposes. True freedom is not the absence of all restraint; it is the joyful surrender of our lives to the One who made us.

When Moses demanded the Israelites’ release, he wasn’t asking Pharaoh to let them do whatever they pleased. God’s purpose was specific: “Let My people go, so that they may serve Me.” This was a call to leave the false gods of Egypt behind and to become wholly devoted to their Redeemer and King.

Even Jesus taught more about servanthood than self-determination. He warned that every heart is committed to something—either God or a rival master. In His kingdom, freedom is found in willingly taking the posture of a servant, trusting that God’s rule leads to life, peace, and purpose.

Today, we still face the same choice. We are offered freedom—but it is not freedom for our own agendas. It is freedom to love, worship, and serve the King who reigns forever. How will you use the liberty you’ve been given?

PRAYER

Father, I offer You my heart and my will. Teach me what it means to be truly free by serving You alone. You are my King, and I long to live for Your purposes today. Amen.

“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night” (Psalm 1:1-2 NKJV).

You’ve probably heard the phrases, “You are what you think,” and, “Choose your company wisely.” Psalm 1 echoes both sentiments. It tells us that the person who experiences God’s blessing is the one who avoids destructive influences and instead finds joy in God’s Word—meditating on it continually.

Who we surround ourselves with shapes our thinking, our actions, and ultimately our character. The psalmist warns us to stay alert and discerning, steering clear of voices that lead us away from truth. Instead, we’re called to intentionally delight in God’s instruction and let it shape our hearts and lives.

The one who does this, the psalmist says, is like “a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither” (v. 3). In a dry, arid land, this image speaks of vitality, strength, and resilience. A life rooted in God’s Word will flourish—even in harsh conditions. 

But it’s not just about surviving—the tree bears fruit. It thrives. In Scripture, fruit is a common metaphor for the visible evidence of inward transformation. It represents character, choices, and actions that flow from a life deeply rooted in God.

When we immerse ourselves in His truth and allow it to reshape us, it doesn’t stay hidden inside. It overflows—producing love, righteousness, peace, and wisdom that bless others and glorify God. True spiritual growth will always manifest in how we live, how we serve, and how we love.

The psalm brings this powerful image to a close with a promise: “Whatever he does shall prosper.”

Spiritual growth doesn’t happen by accident. It requires vigilance, intention, and a steady delight in the Lord’s ways. The question for each of us is: Are we bearing fruit, or are we more like the chaff blown away by the wind (v. 4)?

What do you delight in—and what does your life reflect?

PRAYER

Father, help me to guard my heart and mind from anything that would draw me away from You. Teach me to love Your Word and meditate on it daily. May my life be rooted in Your truth and bear fruit for Your glory. Amen.

Just as Israelis were finally emerging from the trauma of COVID, they were suddenly thrust into the horrors of the October 7 terrorist attacks—and the war with Hamas and Hezbollah. Since then, the nation has been running on adrenaline, with families still in shock and survival mode.

And with the war winding down, most Israelis will face complex emotional, psychological, and financial challenges in adjusting to a “new normal.”

Thanks to caring donors, CBN Israel is addressing the nation’s need for healing by opening a “resilience center.” Manager Yonathan Ameida, who is also a clinical psychologist and pastor, observed, “Many resilience centers exist around the country. But we understood that after the war, the need for these was going to skyrocket.”

The CBN Israel Resilience Center will serve as a hub that matches patients’ needs to a pool of counseling professionals, including psychologists for both adults and children, psychiatrists, psychotherapists, social workers, and financial and parenting coaches.

While the government does provide therapy for direct victims, often the victims’ family members, such as the families of hostages, are outside the loop. The Resilience Center can fill that gap for them, by reaching people who are not eligible for government therapy programs.

And since the war began, donors have already created trauma recovery groups through CBN Israel, and offered courses and private counseling. The Resilience Center will be doing that same work, but on a much larger scale, as well as offering support for the therapists themselves.

Plus, Almeida plans to assist the faith community, saying the war brought up spiritual questions for everyone about why this happened—even many believers, whose faith has been shaken.

He sums up the center’s mission, saying, “People can begin to think coherently again….We are here to help them find an explanation that will give them peace, and give them new tools.”

And your gift to CBN Israel can offer compassionate relief to hurting Israelis in other ways, including hot meals, shelter, and basic essentials.

Please help us bring healing to those in crisis! 

GIVE TODAY

“David therefore departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. So when his brothers and all his father’s house heard it, they went down there to him” (1 Samuel 22:1 NKJV).

David found himself for a period of his life having to flee from Saul. Saul pursued him wherever he went. David felt so pressed that he even had to seek refuge with Achish, the Philistine king of Gath (Goliath’s hometown). As you can imagine, the Philistines mistrusted David and did not welcome him warmly. So, David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam. 

Adullam sits on the border between the Philistine territory of Gath and the tribal territory of Judah (David’s tribe). It overlooks the Elah Valley where David defeated the Philistine champion, Goliath.

So, David flees from Saul, unaccepted even by Saul’s enemies, and finds himself in the cave at Adullam overlooking the site of his greatest victory.

When David defeated Goliath, he found himself at the top. He defeated Goliath, saved Israel, defended the honor of God and Israel, and was taken into Saul’s court. Also, he had been secretly anointed the future king by Samuel. Things looked promising. 

You have to wonder whether David thought his path from his victory in the Elah Valley to the throne was going to be a smooth, straight shot. To a certain extent, when he stood over the body of Goliath, cutting his head off with Goliath’s sword, the Philistine army fleeing with the Israelites in pursuit, he stood very close to God’s promise to him of the kingship, there in the Elah Valley. 

When he found himself in the cave of Adullam, overlooking the same valley, the location of his greatest triumph, he was the furthest from God’s promise than he had ever been. 

Every morning when he woke up, he looked over the scene of his greatest victory, and you wonder whether he found himself despairing of God’s promise. “Has God really said?” “Because I certainly don’t see the path from where I am today to what he promised me.” “Me, a king?” “I’m running for my life and living in a cave, hardly the house of a king.”

Have you ever found yourself in a place where you feel an overwhelming sense of despair? The vision that God gave you for your life seems like a million miles away, and God Himself seems even further away. You remember your victories, those moments when you felt triumph that God was right with you. But now all of that seems like a dream, and you find yourself in despair.

The cave of Adullam was not the end of David’s story. Nor will your times of despair be the end of your story. God is faithful. Rarely does He bring us straight from the victory field to the throne. Rather, He leads us on a winding journey where we learn to trust Him and His promises, even when He and they seem far away.

God is at work; therefore, we will not despair forever.

PRAYER

Father, wherever we find ourselves, please lead us in Your ways and to Your promises. We choose to trust You. Amen.

By Stephen Faircloth

The land of Israel is marked by one of the most dramatic geographical features on earth—the Rift Valley. Carved by shifting tectonic plates, this great scar runs through the land as part of the Syro-African Rift, the longest fracture line on the planet. In Israel, this valley is best known as the Jordan River Valley, for the river that winds its way through its depths.

The Jordan begins south of Mount Hermon, where three streams join together to form its headwaters. From there, the river flows through the fertile Huleh Valley, pours into the Sea of Galilee, and then continues its southward journey. Over just sixty-five miles of descent, the Jordan drops more than 1,900 feet before emptying into the Dead Sea. Along the way, it twists and meanders nearly two hundred miles, shaping both the land and the biblical story.

The river plays a central role in Scripture. Israel crossed the Jordan at flood stage to enter the Promised Land, a moment of faith and fulfillment (Joshua 3-4). Elijah and Elisha crossed its waters on the prophet’s final day before being taken into heaven, and Elisha later parted the waters again with Elijah’s mantle (2 Kings 2).

Naaman the Syrian dipped seven times in the Jordan and was healed of his disease (2 Kings 5:14). Centuries later, John the Baptist carried out his ministry in the region of the Jordan, calling Israel to repentance and baptizing Jesus in its waters.

The Jordan often served as a boundary, marking transitions between wilderness and promise, between old life and new. For the Israelites, crossing the river meant leaving behind the wandering years and stepping into God’s inheritance. For Naaman, it was obedience in humility that led to cleansing. For Jesus, the waters marked the beginning of His public ministry and the Father’s declaration, “You are My beloved Son.”

Today, pilgrims still gather along the Jordan to remember and to renew. The river’s winding course reminds us that God often leads us on unexpected paths, yet always toward His purposes. The waters of the Jordan invite us to trust Him at the thresholds of our own lives.

The Jordan River serves as one of the central geographic boundaries and features that plays so prominently in so many biblical stories.

What “Jordan” lies before you today? Is God calling you to step into something new, to trust Him in transition, or to let Him cleanse what you cannot heal on your own?

Stephen Faircloth is the President of CBN Israel, an initiative dedicated to sharing the true story of the Jewish nation and inspiring a global community of Christians to stand with Israel and support her people in need. Our vision is to reshape the global conversation about Israel by fostering understanding, hope, and healing between Jews and Christians around the world. For more than 50 years, the Christian Broadcasting Network has supported Israel. By joining CBN Israel, you become part of this enduring legacy, transforming lives today and strengthening Christian support for Israel for generations to come.

By Marc Turnage

The Mount of Olives is a north-south ridge that sits on the eastern watershed of the hills around Jerusalem. To its east, the land slopes drastically down towards the Jordan River Valley and the area around Jericho, towards the Dead Sea. 

The steep fall-off of the topography east of the Mount of Olives, together with the weather patterns coming from the west off the Mediterranean Sea, which causes the rain to fall along the heights of the hill country, means that the land to the east of the Mount of Olives sits in the rain shadow, with little vegetation. This wilderness provided refuge for those seeking concealment from the authorities. When David fled Jerusalem from Absalom (2 Samuel 15:13-23), he went over the Mount of Olives into this wilderness seeking refuge.

The Mount of Olives in antiquity never belonged inside the city of Jerusalem. It always sat as its eastern boundary separated from the city of Jerusalem by the Kidron Valley. The Mount of Olives also served as Jerusalem’s cemetery beginning in the Chalcolithic period (Stone Age). Tombs from the time of the Judean monarchy (Old Testament), as well as the first century (New Testament) have been discovered on the Mount of Olives. At the foot of the mountain sit three monumentally decorated tombs from the first centuries B.C. and A.D., one of which is the misnamed Tomb of Absalom. 

When Jesus entered Jerusalem on His “Triumphal Entry” (Luke 19:28-29), He approached the city from the Mount of Olives. Pilgrims to Jerusalem today can walk down the Mount of Olives on the “Palm Sunday” processional route, but this would not have been the path Jesus took, as it led through a first century cemetery, which would have rendered Him ritually impure prohibiting Him from entering the Temple. Most likely His route would have taken Him over one the saddles of the ridge on either its northern or southern part. 

The prophet Zechariah proclaimed that at the end of the age, when God’s kingdom is revealed in all the world, that He will stand on the Mount of Olives, which will split east to west, opening a chasm that will cause the mountain to move to the north and south (Zechariah 14:4). The Mount of Olives is not only connected to Jerusalem’s history in both the Old and New Testaments; it is also directly linked to its future. 

Marc Turnage is President/CEO of Biblical Expeditions. He is an authority on ancient Judaism and Christian origins. He has published widely for both academic and popular audiences. His most recent book, Windows into the Bible, was named by Outreach Magazine as one of its top 100 Christian living resources. Marc is a widely sought-after speaker and a gifted teacher. He has been guiding groups to the lands of the Bible—Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Turkey, Greece, and Italy—for over twenty years.

Website: WITBUniversity.com
Facebook: @witbuniversity
Podcast: Windows into the Bible Podcast

“You are to count seven weeks, counting the weeks from the time the sickle is first put to the standing grain. You are to celebrate the Festival of Weeks to the LORD your God with a freewill offering that you give in proportion to how the LORD your God has blessed you. Rejoice before Yahweh your God in the place where He chooses to have His name dwell—you, your son and daughter, your male and female slave, the Levite within your gates, as well as the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow among you. Remember that you were slaves in Egypt; carefully follow these statutes” (Deuteronomy 16:9-12 HCSB).

Moses outlined for the Israelites the ordinances of the Festival of Weeks (Shavuot or Pentecost). This festival commemorated the harvest seven weeks and one day (50 days, hence “Pentecost”) after the first Sabbath following the Festival of Unleavened Bread.

The festival was to be a celebration marked by a freewill offering—an offering “that you give in proportion to how the LORD your God has blessed you.”  

The festivals and rituals that God gave to the Israelites served as reminders of His participation in their daily lives. Agriculture did not depend upon the farmer and his ingenuity or the luck of the weather; rather, God Himself blessed and provided for the daily needs of the people. The rituals and festivals functioned as reminders of God’s nearness and called upon the Israelites to give thanks, to rejoice.

The Israelites celebrated Pentecost not only within their families but also with their communities. Three groups of people are specifically identified as participating in the celebration of the festival: strangers, orphans, and widows. These three groups lacked a legal advocate within ancient Israel, which is why God often describes Himself, the just Judge, as the defender of these three groups. 

In the midst of the celebration, God calls on the Israelites to remember those on the fringes of their society and to bring them into the festivities. The basis for this action is provided in Deuteronomy 24:18 HCSB: “Remember that you were a slave in Egypt.”

You were once an outcast, someone at the bottom of the social world, so remember and bring those at the bottom of your world into your celebration of the Lord’s blessing. 

Do we see God’s care in every facet of our lives? Do we celebrate it and remind ourselves to rejoice at His provision? Do we share our blessings with those on the fringes of our own society? This was God’s expectation of the ancient Israelites when they celebrated Shavuot. He expects the same from us.

PRAYER

Father, thank You for Your daily provision in my life. As a sign of my thanksgiving, may I share Your blessings in my life with others. Amen.