ARTICLES

Golda has overcome more hardship than most people could imagine. Born during World War II, she lost her father in the battle for Leningrad and spent her childhood fleeing war with her mother and sibling. Hunger, fear, and uncertainty became part of everyday life.

“My mother worried constantly about how she would feed us,” Golda remembered. “She lost everything, even the photographs of my father.”

Years later, Golda immigrated to Israel in search of a fresh start. Although building a new life was not easy, she found a place where she could finally belong. “Only in Israel did I truly feel accepted,” she said.

Today, at 84 years old, Golda lives alone after losing her husband. Living on a limited income has brought new challenges. When flooding damaged her apartment, it destroyed her washing machine, leaving her to wash her clothes by hand for years. Simple daily tasks became exhausting, and the repairs she needed were far beyond her means.

But caring friends like you made a difference.

Through CBN Israel, Golda received a new washing machine along with much-needed repairs to her apartment. What seemed like a simple gift restored comfort, dignity, and hope to her daily life.

“I’m so happy,” Golda shared. “Now everything is so much easier. Thank you for your kindness. It means so much to me.”

Although the years have brought many losses, Golda no longer feels forgotten. She knows there are people who care about her and are standing beside her during this season of life.

Your support of CBN Israel is bringing practical help and heartfelt encouragement to elderly widows, Holocaust survivors, and vulnerable seniors throughout Israel. Thank you for reminding people like Golda that they are loved, valued, and never alone.

Please stand with the people of Israel today and bring hope to those in need.

GIVE TODAY

By Stephen Faircloth

Nestled along the western shore of the Sea of Galilee, just a few miles north of Tiberias, the ancient settlement of Magdala offers a remarkable window into Jewish life during the time of Jesus. Known by multiple names, Magdala or Migdal Nunaya in Hebrew and Aramaic, and Taricheae in Greek and Latin, this city played a central role in the economy and culture of the region.

Greek sources called it Taricheae, meaning “factories for salting fish,” a reminder that everyday labor and community life were part of God’s provision. The bustling harbor connected smaller villages, including Capernaum, to wider trade networks, illustrating how God often uses ordinary places to accomplish extraordinary purposes. When the Gospels describe Jesus arriving by boat in the region of Gennesar, He likely stepped ashore in Magdala’s thriving port.

Though tradition has long identified Magdala as the hometown of Mary Magdalene, there is no conclusive historical proof of this connection. Still, her life shows how God can redeem any story, and how an encounter with Christ transforms us from the inside out.

Modern excavations have brought Magdala to life in vivid detail. Archaeologists uncovered streets laid out in a precise grid, elegant homes with expertly cut stone, intricate mosaic floors, and fine pottery and glassware—all signs of a prosperous community. Many of these homes contained private ritual baths (mikva’ot), even though the Sea of Galilee was just steps away. This dedication reveals how seriously the people of Magdala took purity and devotion, weaving faith into the fabric of daily life.

Among the most significant discoveries is Magdala’s ancient synagogue—one of the earliest ever found. Though modest in size, it was rich with spiritual meaning. The main hall was ringed with benches, frescoed walls, and mosaic floors. At its center stood a beautifully carved stone, likely supporting the sacred Torah as it was read aloud. The carvings include the seven-branched menorah from the Jerusalem Temple, reminding worshipers that even in Galilee, their faith was anchored in God’s promises and presence.

While the Gospels do not specifically mention Jesus teaching in Magdala, He traveled throughout Galilee, proclaiming the Kingdom and opening the Scriptures in synagogues just like this one. It is entirely possible, perhaps even likely, that He stood in this very space, reading and explaining the Word of God, calling people to repentance, hope, and new life.

Magdala is a powerful reminder that faith is not reserved for holy places alone. It flourishes in workshops, fishing boats, kitchens, and markets, wherever people choose to honor God with their lives. Like the men and women of Magdala, we are called to integrate worship into our work, to pursue purity of heart even in ordinary routines, and to welcome Jesus into every corner of our day.

Are there areas of your life where you have separated faith from daily tasks? What would it look like to invite Jesus into your own “harbor,” your own “workshop,” and live every moment for His glory?

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.

“You recently repented and did what was right in My sight… but now you have turned around and profaned My name” (Jeremiah 34:15-16).

It is easy to think of sin primarily in terms of our relationship with God. We often focus on prayer, worship, and personal devotion, assuming these are the most important measures of our faithfulness. Yet Scripture repeatedly reminds us that how we treat others is inseparably connected to how we honor God.

In the days of Jeremiah, the people of Judah made a sincere commitment. They agreed to obey God’s command to release their fellow Hebrews from slavery during the appointed year of release. For a moment, they did what was right. They acted justly. They honored God’s instruction, and God took notice. But their obedience did not last.

After freeing those who had been enslaved, they changed their minds. They forced them back into bondage, reversing their act of obedience. What began as righteousness ended in betrayal. And God’s response was strong. He declared that their actions had profaned His name. This is a sobering truth.

The way we treat people is not just a social issue. It is a spiritual one. Our actions toward others either reflect God’s character or distort it. When we act unjustly, unkindly, or selfishly, we do more than harm another person. We misrepresent the God we claim to follow. God takes this seriously.

In this passage, His judgment was not merely for breaking a command, but for breaking faith with one another. Their failure was not just disobedience. It was a violation of trust, dignity, and justice. It revealed a heart unwilling to live out what they had promised before God.

We may not be dealing with the same circumstances today, but the principle remains. Do our relationships reflect God’s heart? It is possible to speak about faith while neglecting the way we treat others. It is possible to worship God with our lips while acting in ways that contradict His character.

Yet Scripture makes it clear that true devotion to God is expressed through how we love, serve, and honor people. Jesus Himself affirmed this. Loving God and loving others are inseparable. One cannot exist fully without the other.

This calls us to examine our lives honestly. Are there areas where we have failed to act justly? Have we withheld grace, broken trust, or treated others in ways that do not reflect God’s love? These are not small matters. They matter deeply to God.

The good news is that God also calls us to return. Just as the people of Judah were given the opportunity to do what was right, we too are invited to realign our lives. To choose integrity. To act with compassion. To reflect God’s character in every relationship. When we do, we honor His name.

And when we live this way, our faith becomes visible, not only in what we say, but in how we love.

PRAYER

Father, forgive us for the ways we have failed to reflect Your heart in how we treat others. Teach us to act with justice, mercy, and humility. May our lives honor Your name in every relationship. Amen.

This week’s Torah reading is Parashat Balak (Numbers 22:2-25:9). Read on Shabbat, June 27, 2026 / 12 Tammuz 5786. The following is a special devotional drawn from this week’s reading.

“How beautiful are your tents, Jacob, your dwelling places, Israel!” (Numbers 24:5).

Parashat Balak offers a remarkable reminder that God sees His people differently than the world often does. Balak, the king of Moab, fears Israel’s growing strength and hires the prophet Balaam to pronounce a curse upon them. Yet every attempt to curse Israel is transformed by God into words of blessing. What human beings intend for harm, God turns into a declaration of His covenant faithfulness.

Standing on the hills overlooking the camp of Israel, Balaam sees more than a nation traveling through the wilderness. He sees a people chosen and sustained by God. His famous blessing celebrates the beauty of Israel’s orderly tents and the favor resting upon them. Without realizing it, Balaam becomes an instrument for proclaiming God’s unchanging purposes. No scheme, threat, or opposition can overturn what God has spoken.

This portion reminds us that God’s perspective is often very different from our own. We may focus on our weaknesses, failures, or uncertain circumstances. Others may misunderstand us or question God’s work in our lives. Yet God sees the whole picture. He remains faithful to His promises even when we cannot fully perceive His plan. His blessing is rooted in His character, not in shifting circumstances or human opinion.

Balak also teaches that not every battle is visible. While Israel is unaware of the conversations taking place between Balak and Balaam, God is already working on their behalf. He is protecting His people from dangers they cannot see and accomplishing His purposes beyond their knowledge. This truth invites deeper trust. God is always at work, even when His activity remains hidden from our eyes.

Some may be facing criticism, uncertainty, or spiritual opposition. Others may simply wonder whether God is still working behind the scenes. This portion encourages us to remember that God’s blessing cannot be undone by human plans. He is able to accomplish His purposes despite every obstacle and to guard His people in ways they may never fully understand.

As this Shabbat arrives, take time to thank God for His unseen faithfulness. Reflect on moments when He protected, guided, or provided for you without your realizing it at the time. Walk forward with confidence, knowing that the God who turned curses into blessings still watches over His people and fulfills every promise He has made.

PRAYER
Lord, thank You for Your faithful protection and unchanging promises. Help me trust You even when I cannot see what You are doing. Remind me that Your purposes cannot be overturned and that Your blessing rests upon those who walk with You. May I live each day with confidence in Your steadfast love. Amen.

For Ortal, her home in Bat Yam was the center of family life. It was where she raised her three children and created years of cherished memories.

“That house was our anchor, our safe place,” she recalled.

Her serenity was shattered when a ballistic missile struck her neighborhood during the conflict between Israel and Iran. Ortal and her family survived only because they reached a shelter moments before impact.

“When I looked for the kids, they were screaming, and I screamed too,” she said. When the dust settled, their home was gone.

In the difficult days that followed, the family moved into temporary housing. Though grateful to be safe, they were now living in an unfurnished apartment and dealing with the emotional trauma of losing everything they had known.

That’s when caring friends like you stepped in.

Through CBN Israel, Ortal’s family received furniture, food, groceries, trauma counseling, and other essential support. Donors also provided a replacement computer for daughter Mika, allowing her to continue her studies after the attack.

Reflecting on the help she received, Ortal shared, “CBN has been that breath. They have been my first peaceful breath in a long time.”

Today, Ortal and her children are still rebuilding their lives, but they are doing so with renewed hope and the knowledge that they are not alone.

Please join us in helping families affected by war and terror find comfort, stability, and strength to move forward.

GIVE TODAY

By Stephen Faircloth

Tucked along the sparkling coast of the Mediterranean, the ancient city of Caesarea wasn’t just a marvel of Roman engineering; it was a stage where God’s unfolding plan for the world stepped into the Gentile arena. For anyone walking its ruined streets today, it’s easy to imagine Roman chariots racing in the stadium or waves lapping against Herod the Great’s grand harbor. But the stones of Caesarea whisper of something greater: the unstoppable reach of the Gospel.

It was here, in Caesarea, that the Gospel of Jesus Christ broke through a cultural and spiritual barrier that had long divided Jews and Gentiles. In Acts 10, the apostle Peter was summoned to the house of Cornelius, a Roman centurion described as “God-fearing.” As Peter preached, the Holy Spirit fell upon Cornelius and his household—Gentiles receiving the same Spirit as the first Jewish believers in Jerusalem. In that moment, the family of God flung its doors wide open. No longer was the good news reserved for one people, but for all nations, just as Jesus had promised.

The city witnessed not only divine breakthroughs but also divine judgments. Herod Agrippa I, the grandson of Herod the Great, died in Caesarea, struck down after accepting the praises of the people as if he were a god (Acts 12:19-23). Both Scripture and the historian Josephus record this sobering event, reminding us of the peril of pride and the glory that belongs to God alone.

Caesarea also served as a crossroads for the apostle Paul. From here, he sailed on missionary journeys, faced trials under Roman rulers like Felix and Festus, and ultimately appealed to Caesar, setting the course for his voyage to Rome (Acts 23-27). During this time, Luke, Paul’s companion and the author of Luke and Acts, likely remained free to move about the land. It’s not hard to imagine Luke walking the streets of Jerusalem or sitting with eyewitnesses, gathering the material he would later weave into his Gospel (Luke 1:1-4). Even in chains, God’s servants were at work, and His Word was moving forward.

The city itself was a testament to Roman ambition. Herod the Great transformed a modest Phoenician port known as “Strato’s Tower” into a grand harbor he called Sebastos, honoring Caesar Augustus. Around it rose temples, palaces, theaters, and baths. Yet amid all this grandeur, a simple stone discovered by archaeologists stands out: the Pilate Inscription, a dedicatory plaque mentioning Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor who condemned Jesus. It’s a quiet reminder that even powerful men like Pilate lived in the shadow of a much greater King.

In A.D. 66, Caesarea again became a flashpoint—this time as the First Jewish Revolt ignited. The city’s tensions exploded in violence, and in its stadium, the Roman general Titus forced 2,500 Jewish captives to fight to the death in grisly celebration. What had once been a place of Gospel peace now echoed with the horrors of war and vengeance.

Yet God was not done with Caesarea.

In the centuries that followed, Caesarea became a beacon of Christian thought. The great teacher Origen spent over two decades here, establishing a theological school and one of the ancient world’s finest libraries. From this treasure trove of knowledge, Eusebius, the “Father of Church History,” would write his sweeping account of early Christianity, preserving the memory of martyrs, apostles, and faithful communities.

Caesarea reminds us that God’s story moves through unlikely places. It marched into a Roman stronghold, shattered cultural boundaries, and transformed a harbor of empire into a harbor of faith. Whether you’re standing in a grand city or feeling small in your corner of the world, remember this: the Gospel has never been confined by walls, rulers, or borders.

Like Peter, may we be ready to go where God sends us, even if it surprises us. Like Paul, may we be faithful—even in chains. Like Cornelius, may we hunger for truth and welcome it when it comes. And like those who walked the streets of Caesarea long ago, may we be part of God’s great story—anchored in Christ and carried by the Spirit to the ends of the earth.

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.

“Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done” (Luke 22:42).

The moment in the garden is one of the most powerful scenes in the life of Jesus. There, on the Mount of Olives, He faced the full weight of what lay ahead. The cross was no abstraction. It was near, real, and unavoidable. In that moment, we see His humanity clearly. He did not rush toward suffering. He wrestled with it.

And yet, He surrendered. “Not My will, but Yours be done.” We often focus on the intensity of that moment, the anguish, the prayer, the decision. But what made that surrender possible? How was Jesus able to choose the Father’s will when everything in Him recoiled from the cost?

The answer was not found only in that moment. It was formed over a lifetime. From a young age, Jesus would have recited daily the words of the Shema: “Hear, O Israel, the LORD is our God, the LORD is one.” These were not empty words. They were a daily declaration of loyalty, love, and submission to God. To speak them was to acknowledge God’s authority and to place oneself under His rule.

Day after day, in ordinary moments, Jesus lived a life of surrender. The Gospels give us only glimpses of His life, but those glimpses reveal a pattern. He withdrew to pray. He sought the Father’s will. He lived in obedience. The extraordinary moments we read about were built on a foundation of daily faithfulness.

Gethsemane was not the beginning of His submission. It was the culmination of it. In the quiet, unseen rhythms of life, Jesus trained His heart to trust the Father. So when the moment of crisis came, He did not need to learn obedience. He lived it.

This speaks directly to our lives. We often want to be faithful in the big moments, the defining decisions, the times of testing. But those moments are shaped by what we do every day. Faithfulness is not formed in the spotlight. It is formed in the ordinary.

Each time we choose to trust God, even in small things, we are being shaped. Each moment of obedience, each quiet prayer, each decision to align our will with His is preparing us for something greater.

When the difficult moments come, we will draw from what has already been formed within us. Jesus shows us that surrender is not a one-time act. It is a way of life. And because He chose the Father’s will, even at great cost, we are recipients of His obedience. His surrender brought life, redemption, and hope.

So we are invited to ask ourselves: how are we living in the ordinary? Are we allowing those moments to shape us? Are we practicing daily surrender? Do not underestimate the quiet moments. They are preparing you.

PRAYER

Father, today we submit ourselves to Your rule and reign. May Your will be done in our lives today. Prepare us daily to serve and submit to You. Amen.

This week’s Torah reading is Parashat Chukat (Numbers 19:1-22:1). Read on Shabbat, June 20, 2026 / 12 Tammuz 5786. The following is a special devotional drawn from this week’s reading.

“Then Israel sang this song: ‘Spring up, O well! Sing to it!’” (Numbers 21:17).

Parashat Chukat contains some of the most challenging and mysterious passages in the Torah. It begins with the ordinance of the red heifer, a commandment that has puzzled generations because its full meaning remains beyond human understanding. As the narrative unfolds, Israel experiences loss, disappointment, conflict, and wandering. Miriam dies. Aaron dies. The people struggle with thirst and frustration. Yet in the midst of these difficulties, God continues to provide for them and guide them forward.

One of the most encouraging moments in the portion comes when God provides water in the wilderness. After seasons of hardship and complaint, a well springs forth, and the people respond not with grumbling but with song. For a brief moment, their focus shifts from their problems to God’s provision. Their gratitude becomes an act of worship.

This scene reminds us that God’s faithfulness is often most visible in the places where we feel most needy. The wilderness is not a place anyone would choose, yet it becomes the setting where God repeatedly demonstrates His care. The people may not understand every circumstance they face, but they can trust the One who leads them through it. The same God who provides water in the desert is able to meet every need according to His wisdom and timing.

Life often contains experiences that resemble the mysteries of Chukat. There are seasons when we do not understand why certain events occur or why prayers seem delayed. Questions may remain unanswered. Yet faith does not require complete understanding. It calls us to trust God’s character even when His purposes are not fully revealed.

Some may be walking through a difficult season marked by uncertainty, loss, or waiting. Others may be experiencing fresh evidence of God’s provision after a long period of struggle. Wherever you find yourself, this portion offers the same invitation: do not lose sight of God’s faithfulness. The well may not appear when expected, but God has not forgotten His people.

As this Shabbat arrives, take time to remember the ways God has sustained you in past wilderness seasons. Offer thanks for both the visible blessings and the hidden mercies that carried you forward. Let gratitude become your song, trusting that the God who provided yesterday remains faithful today and will continue to guide you tomorrow.

PRAYER
Lord, help me trust You even when I do not understand Your ways. Thank You for sustaining me through every wilderness season. Open my eyes to see Your provision and fill my heart with gratitude for Your unfailing faithfulness. Amen.