ARTICLES

Twenty-three years ago, David Rubin survived a devastating terror attack that changed his life forever. Though he recovered physically, he soon realized the deeper wounds were emotional. “It wasn’t just physical,” he shared. “We saw this trauma play out for years within my entire family.” Out of that painful experience, a vision was born: to help Israel’s children heal from the invisible scars of terror.

That vision became the Shiloh Israel Children’s Fund. What began as a response to personal tragedy has grown into a life changing mission serving hundreds of children and families impacted by violence.

At the heart of the program is a large school serving 600 girls from fourteen communities, many of whom have experienced terror firsthand. The goal is not only academic success, but also restoring joy, confidence, and a sense of belonging. Through agricultural activities, the girls connect to their heritage by planting and nurturing crops. As they watch their plants grow, they begin to believe they can grow stronger too.

For many children, trauma is too heavy to put into words. That is why the program includes art therapy and equine therapy. Through painting and creative expression, children can share what they feel inside without having to explain it. Through therapeutic riding, they learn courage and self-control step by step. When they succeed in guiding a horse, they discover their own strength.

The work extends beyond the classroom. Mobile therapy teams support entire families who have been uprooted by terror, helping parents and children rebuild together.

Through CBN Israel’s partnership with the Shiloh Israel Children’s Fund, your generosity is helping turn bitterness into sweetness. You are bringing light into dark places and restoring hope to children who need it most.

May God bless you for standing with Israel’s families and helping heal a generation.

GIVE TODAY

By Stephen Faircloth

High above the Mediterranean coastline, the limestone ridge of Mount Carmel stretches like a natural stage, connecting the highlands of Samaria to the eastern sea. Fertile and green, it receives generous rainfall most of the year and has long symbolized agricultural abundance in the Bible.

But Carmel is remembered not just for its beauty. It is remembered for a decisive moment when God’s people were called to choose.

“If the Lord is God, follow Him. But if Baal, then follow him” (1 Kings 18:21).

Elijah the prophet stood on this very ridge and called for a confrontation. The people of Israel had turned away from God during the reign of King Ahab. In their fear of drought and desire for prosperity, they sought help from Baal, the Canaanite storm god, hoping he would bring the rain.

The fertility, precipitation, and location of Mount Carmel play a key role in the story of Elijah and the prophets of Baal. Agriculture in the land of Israel proved difficult in the ancient world. The people depended solely upon God for rain to water their fields and crops due to the topography of the land (see Deuteronomy 8; 11:10-20).

Mount Carmel was a fitting battleground. It was not only a high place often associated with pagan worship, but it also sat near the Phoenician region where Baal worship was born. The land itself, lush and well-watered, seemed to testify to Baal’s influence. But God was about to set the record straight.

The drought had not been an accident. According to God’s covenant in Deuteronomy, Israel’s disobedience would result in the heavens being shut. Their spiritual dryness was reflected in the parched ground beneath them.

Elijah proposed a simple test. The god who answered with fire would prove himself to be the true God. Baal’s prophets called on him all day, but there was only silence. Then Elijah called on the Lord, and fire fell from Heaven. The sacrifice was consumed completely. The people fell face down and cried out, “The Lord, He is God.”

Shortly after, the skies broke open and the rain returned.

This moment on Mount Carmel was not just about power. It was about loyalty. The setting, the drought, the silence from Baal, and the fire from Heaven all pointed to one truth. Only God is worthy of trust and worship.

Are there areas in your life where you are looking to something other than God for security or provision? Elijah’s question remains for each of us. If the Lord is God, will we follow Him?

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.

“Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy. They weep as they go to plant their seed, but they sing as they return with the harvest” (Psalm 126:5-6).

In the ancient land of Israel, farming was an act of faith. A farmer would prepare the soil, scattering precious seed across the ground, knowing that everything depended on what he could not control. There were no irrigation systems to guarantee water. No forecasts to predict the rain. Only the hope that God would send the rains in their proper time.

Every seed planted carried risk. If the rains delayed, the seed could dry out and die. If that happened, the farmer would have to take from what was meant to feed his family and sow again. The process was costly, uncertain, and often filled with anxiety. It is no wonder the psalmist described sowing as something done “in tears.”

And yet, they planted. They walked their fields, looking at the dry soil, praying that clouds would gather and rain would fall. Their dependence on God was not theoretical. It was daily and urgent. They knew that without Him, there would be no harvest.

But even when the rains came, the waiting did not end. Growth takes time. Seeds buried in the ground do not sprout overnight. Day after day, the farmer had to trust that something unseen was happening beneath the surface. He had to wait, not with certainty of outcome, but with hope rooted in God’s faithfulness.

This rhythm of sowing, waiting, and harvesting mirrors our spiritual lives. There are seasons when we sow in tears. We pray, we serve, we give, we trust, often without seeing immediate results. We ask God to move, to provide, to heal, to restore. And then we wait.

Waiting can be one of the hardest parts of faith. We live in a world that values speed and instant results. We expect answers quickly and solutions immediately. But God often works in ways that require patience. He grows things slowly, deeply, and intentionally.

The psalmist reminds us that tears are not wasted. They are part of the process. What is sown in sorrow can be reaped in joy. God sees every prayer. He honors every act of faith. And in His timing, He brings a harvest. The challenge is to trust Him in the waiting.

Do we recognize our dependence on God as clearly as those ancient farmers did? Do we continue to sow faithfully, even when the ground seems dry? Do we trust that He is working, even when we cannot yet see the fruit?

The promise remains. There will be a harvest. And when it comes, the same hands that sowed in tears will gather in joy.

PRAYER

Father, teach us to trust You in every season. When we sow in tears, remind us that You are at work beneath the surface. Give us patience to wait and faith to believe that You will bring a harvest in Your perfect time. Amen.

This week’s Torah reading is Parashat Vaetchanan (Deuteronomy 3:23-7:11). Read on Shabbat, July 25, 2026 / 11 Av 5786. The following is a special devotional drawn from this week’s reading.

“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength” (Deuteronomy 6:4-5).

As Moses continues his farewell address to Israel, he knows his earthly journey is drawing to a close. Although he will not enter the Promised Land, his deepest concern is not for himself but for the people who will continue without him. He urges Israel to remember the God who redeemed them, to obey His commandments, and to love Him with wholehearted devotion. At the center of his message stands the Shema, one of the most treasured declarations of faith in all of Scripture.

The call to love God with our whole being reminds us that faith is more than outward obedience. God desires hearts that are fully devoted to Him. Love for the Lord shapes the decisions we make, the words we speak, and the priorities we embrace. It is a relationship marked by trust, reverence, and daily dependence rather than mere religious routine.

Moses also instructs the people to pass God’s Word to the next generation. They are to speak of His commandments at home, along the road, when they lie down, and when they rise. Faith was never intended to remain private or confined to moments of worship. It is to become the rhythm of everyday life, influencing families, communities, and future generations.

This timeless instruction remains just as relevant today. In a world filled with competing voices and distractions, we are continually invited to return our hearts to the Lord. When His Word is treasured, remembered, and shared, it strengthens our faith and equips those who come after us to know His faithfulness for themselves.

As you enter this Shabbat, set aside time to quiet your heart before the Lord. Reflect on His goodness, meditate on His Word, and consider one practical way you can demonstrate your love for Him this week. Perhaps it is extending forgiveness, encouraging someone in need, or sharing a passage of Scripture with a family member or friend. Small acts of faithful obedience become lasting testimonies of a heart that truly loves God.

PRAYER
Lord, teach me to love You with all my heart, soul, and strength. Write Your Word upon my heart and help me live it faithfully each day. May my life reflect Your goodness and inspire others to know and follow You. Amen.

For nearly half a century, the people of Iran have lived under a theocratic regime that has brought increasing hardship to its own citizens while pouring enormous resources into terrorism, proxy wars, and military ambitions abroad.

Today, ordinary Iranians are courageously speaking out. Their stories provide a sobering glimpse into daily life under the Islamic Regime and remind the world that its greatest victims are often the Iranian people themselves.

Meanwhile, Israel continues fighting an existential war to protect its diverse population, including Jews, Israeli Arabs, Druze, Bedouins, Ethiopians, Christians, and many others. The contrast could hardly be greater. While Israel defends the freedoms of its citizens, Iran’s rulers continue tightening their grip on a nation desperate for relief.

The voices emerging from Iran should not be ignored. They are a call for people of goodwill to pray, remain informed, and stand against tyranny. This summer, millions of Iranians have endured widespread power outages and severe water shortages.

In Khuzestan Province, where temperatures regularly soar above 120 degrees Fahrenheit, residents report recurring power outages lasting two hours or more during the most dangerous hours of the day. In Islamshahr, outside Tehran, electricity has reportedly been unavailable for as long as four hours at a time. Residents of Ilam Province warn that continued blackouts could spark widespread protests.

In the city of Pardis, elevators in high-rise apartment buildings stop functioning whenever electricity fails. One frustrated resident asked, “How are we supposed to climb all these stairs?”

For elderly citizens and people living with disabilities, the hardships are especially severe.

One Iranian expressed a fear shared by many: “We are more afraid of the regime staying.”

Another citizen observed that prolonged power outages place countless lives at risk because patients who depend on ventilators or refrigerated medications have no reliable backup. As one student explained: “Ask the patients who rely on ventilators in their homes or those storing vital medicines in refrigerators. For them, a power cut isn’t a delayed exam. It’s a matter of life or death.”

Iran’s water crisis is equally alarming. Following the country’s worst drought in four decades, reservoirs remain dangerously depleted. Last year, TIME described Iran’s growing water shortage as one of the nation’s greatest long-term threats, and conditions remain dire.

Families in communities such as Boumehen report receiving running water only two days each week, even while caring for seriously ill relatives. Residents of Shahriar and Qods have pleaded with authorities, reminding them that “water is a basic necessity, not a luxury.”

Approximately 10,000 people across twenty villages in southern Iran have reportedly lost access to reliable water supplies following damage to the Bunji desalination pumping facility and its supporting electrical infrastructure. Aging transmission systems, deteriorating facilities, years of underinvestment, and poor government management have only intensified the crisis.

Iran’s state-controlled media has blamed the United States for the damage to the Bunji facility, describing it as a terrorist attack. Those claims, however, have not been independently verified by Western or neutral sources.

Whatever the immediate cause, the broader reality is unmistakable. Years of economic mismanagement, corruption, and misplaced national priorities have left millions of ordinary Iranians struggling to meet basic needs.

Food shortages have added another painful burden. Residents in Zahedan describe staple foods becoming increasingly unaffordable. Rice, cooking oil, eggs, and other necessities continue rising in price, leaving many families uncertain how they will provide their next meal.

One resident lamented, “We go to sleep and wake up to everything being twice as expensive.”

Iran’s dependence on imported food makes these challenges even more precarious. The country imports approximately 77 percent of its rice, 89 percent of its corn, 95 percent of its soybeans, and 91 percent of its vegetable oils. Any disruption to regional shipping routes, including the Strait of Hormuz, places additional pressure on an already fragile food supply.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently observed, “Imagine if Iran had spent its wealth, billions of dollars, helping the people of Iran instead of funding terrorists and building weapons.”

Former Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren has likewise warned against trusting the regime’s repeated promises.

“We have decades of evidence showing that the regime lies, cheats, and deceives and will not abide by any agreement,” he explained. “The United States and Israel cannot base their security on promises from Tehran.”

He added that Iran’s leaders often view agreements as tactical pauses rather than lasting commitments. Marziyeh Amirizadeh understands this reality firsthand. A Christian imprisoned under Iran’s Islamic Regime before eventually finding refuge in the United States, she warns that the regime “does not negotiate in good faith. It negotiates for survival.”

Yet she also offers an important reminder. The Iranian people are not their government. She has repeatedly emphasized that many Iranians admire Israel and long for peace, even as tens of thousands have suffered imprisonment, persecution, or death under the regime during the past forty-seven years.

As followers of Jesus, how should we respond? Scripture calls us not only to recognize suffering but also to act with compassion. Proverbs 24:11-12 reminds us: “Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter. If you say, ‘But we knew nothing about this,’ does not He who weighs the heart perceive it?” Prayer and action belong together.

We can pray faithfully for the Iranian people, seek truth from reliable sources, reject misinformation, and share accurate information that exposes oppression while pointing to hope.

Above all, we can pray that millions more Iranians will encounter Jesus Christ, whose truth alone brings lasting freedom.

Our CBN Israel team welcomes you to join us in prayer this week.

Prayer Points

• Pray for the defeat of the Islamic Regime and for freedom, justice, and hope for the Iranian people.
• Pray that millions of Iranians will encounter Jesus Christ and find lasting peace through Him.
• Pray that the Strait of Hormuz will remain open and secure for international commerce.
• Pray for the protection, wisdom, and success of American and Israeli military personnel serving during this critical time.

Arlene Bridges Samuels is the weekly feature columnist for CBN Israel since 2020. Working on the staff of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) as their SE Regional Outreach Director for nine years, International Christian Embassy Jerusalem USA engaged her as the Leadership Outreach Director part-time for their project American Christian Leaders for Israel (ACLI). Arlene is an author at The Blogs-Times of Israel, is published at AllIsrael.com and The Jerusalem Connection. Her devotionals and articles also appear on her Substack, The Eclectic Evangelical. She serves on the Advisory Board of NewPersia.org and on the advisory committee of RootAndBranchIsrael.com. Having traveled to Israel regularly since 1990, Arlene participates in Israel’s Government Press Office Christian Media Summits alongside members of Christian media from around the world. In 2024, Arlene and her husband Paul co-authored Mental Health Meltdown: Illuminating the Voices of Bipolar and Other Mental Illnesses. In May 2026, The White Rose Society honored Arlene as a non-Jewish individual who stands with the Jewish people.

Ziva has always lived in a close-knit neighborhood in Beit Shemesh, where families share life’s joys and burdens. That sense of community was shattered in March 2026 when an Iranian ballistic missile struck her area directly, devastating blocks of apartment buildings and displacing hundreds of residents.

At first, Ziva thought the blast was a construction accident. Then the horrifying reality became clear. Nine people were killed, including a member of her extended family. Many others, including children, were rushed to hospitals for surgery after suffering severe injuries. The neighborhood she once knew was left covered in rubble and broken glass.

For Ziva, the trauma has been overwhelming. A mother of four children with special needs, she now struggles with post-traumatic stress while trying to care for her family. The explosion left her too shaken to immediately return to her apartment. “I don’t have the headspace,” she admitted, describing the urgent need for food, clothing, and a safe roof over their heads.

During that unsettling time, sirens continued to sound across Israel, and fear remained a daily reality for families like hers. With over 250 people displaced and entire buildings deemed unsafe, the path forward felt uncertain.

But in the midst of this crisis, caring and compassionate friends like you were there.

Thanks to the support of generous donors, CBN Israel immediately reached out to Beit Shemesh to provide urgent relief. Food, emergency supplies, and practical assistance were given to families who had lost so much in a single moment. The steadfast partnership of friends like you became a lifeline for Ziva and those facing sudden homelessness and trauma.

Your gifts to CBN Israel can bring hope and stability to families torn apart by war. Mothers, children, and entire communities can receive the help they desperately need as they begin the long process of rebuilding.

Please join us today in standing with Israel’s families in their time of need.

GIVE TODAY

By Stephen Faircloth

Nestled along the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee, the ancient village of Capernaum was once a quiet fishing town that became a pivotal center for Jesus’ ministry, where He taught His fellow Jews and performed many remarkable miracles.

Although largely unknown in earlier historical records, Capernaum bursts onto the biblical scene in the Gospels as a place of extraordinary significance. Apart from Jerusalem, no other location is mentioned more frequently. Referred to by Matthew as Jesus’ “own city” (Matthew 9:1), it became His home base during His Galilean ministry, a hub for healing, teaching, and transformation.

Here, Jesus healed the sick, cast out demons, raised the paralyzed, and restored the broken. He taught in the synagogue, even honoring the faith of a Roman centurion who had helped build it (Luke 7:5). In Capernaum, divine power met human need on a daily basis.

Modern archaeological discoveries have brought new depth to our understanding of this sacred village. Excavations have revealed first-century homes built in a clustered courtyard style known as an insula, where multiple generations lived and worked around shared space. These homes help us visualize Gospel scenes: friends lowering a paralytic through a roof, neighbors crowding doorways to hear Jesus speak, meals shared in intimate settings.

The synagogue standing today, made of bright limestone, was likely constructed centuries after Jesus walked its streets. But beneath its foundation, black basalt stones hint at an earlier structure, possibly the synagogue where Jesus Himself once read and taught. Nearby, under a modern church, lie the remains of an ancient house that transitioned into a place of worship by early Christians, possibly the very home of Simon Peter.

While time has worn away the original walls, the message of Capernaum remains: God stepped into ordinary places. He didn’t choose temples of grandeur, but village homes and fishing docks to unveil His glory. He moved into the rhythms of daily life, healing, teaching, forgiving, and calling people to follow Him.

Capernaum invites us to see our own spaces, our homes, workplaces, and neighborhoods, as potential places where heaven still touches earth. The same Jesus who walked through its dusty paths walks with us today, desiring to heal, to teach, and to dwell among His people.

Where has Jesus made His home in your life? Are you open to Him working through the everyday spaces around you? What would it look like for your home or community to become a modern-day Capernaum, a place of healing, hope, and holy presence?

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.

“As He drew near Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the road begging. Hearing a crowd passing by, he inquired what this meant. ‘Jesus the Nazarene is passing by,’ they told him. So he called out, ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!’ … Jesus stopped and commanded that he be brought to Him. When he drew near, He asked him, ‘What do you want Me to do for you?’ ‘Lord,’ he said, ‘I want to see!’ ‘Receive your sight!’ Jesus told him” (Luke 18:35-42).

As Jesus journeyed toward Jerusalem, He was surrounded by noise, movement, and expectation. Crowds traveled with Him, filled with anticipation about what He might do next. His disciples walked beside Him, likely still hoping for the immediate arrival of God’s kingdom.

But Jesus Himself knew where the road was leading. He was moving steadily toward the cross. Every step brought Him closer to suffering, rejection, and sacrifice. The weight of that calling would have consumed most people. It would have been easy to focus only on what lay ahead.

And yet, in the middle of that journey, a voice broke through the noise. A blind man, sitting by the roadside, cried out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” He was unseen by most, dismissed by others, and even told to be quiet. To the crowd, he was an interruption. But not to Jesus. Jesus stopped.

In that simple act, we see something extraordinary. The Savior of the world, on His way to accomplish the greatest act in history, paused for one broken man on the side of the road. He was not too busy. Not too focused. Not too important. He heard, and He responded.

Jesus called the man to come near and asked a question that might seem obvious: “What do you want Me to do for you?” The man’s answer was simple and direct. “Lord, I want to see.” And Jesus restored his sight.

This moment reveals the heart of Christ. He is not only concerned with the grand, redemptive plan unfolding on a global scale. He is attentive to the individual, to the overlooked, to the one who cries out in desperation. It also challenges us. How often do we walk past those in need? How often are we so focused on our responsibilities, our goals, even our service to God, that we fail to notice the person right in front of us?

The blind man could not see Jesus, but he recognized Him. And in his need, he called out. His persistence overcame the resistance of the crowd, and his faith met the compassion of Christ. There are people all around us who are hurting, waiting, hoping someone will notice. They may not always speak loudly, but their need is real.

The question is not whether those cries exist. The question is whether we are listening. To follow Jesus is to reflect His heart. It is to slow down, to pay attention, and to be willing to stop when others would keep walking. It is to see people not as interruptions, but as opportunities to extend mercy and compassion.

Jesus stopped for one, and in doing so, He showed us how to live. Who might God be calling you to notice today? Where might He be asking you to pause, to listen, and to respond? Sometimes the most meaningful moments are found when we are willing to stop.

PRAYER

Father, open our eyes to see those around us who are hurting. Help us not to be so distracted that we miss their cries. Give us hearts like Jesus, willing to stop, listen, and respond with compassion and love. Amen.

This week’s Torah reading is Parashat Devarim (Deuteronomy 1:1-3:22). Read on Shabbat, July 18, 2026 / 4 Av 5786. The following is a special devotional drawn from this week’s reading.

“See, I have set the land before you. Go in and possess the land that the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give to them and their offspring after them” (Deuteronomy 1:8).

As Moses begins his final address to Israel, he looks back before calling the people forward. He recounts their journey through the wilderness, reminding them of both God’s faithfulness and their own failures. The generation standing before him is not the same one that left Egypt, yet they must learn from the past if they are to walk faithfully into the future. God’s promises remain certain, but His people must respond with trust and obedience.

The opening chapters of Deuteronomy reveal that remembering is a spiritual discipline. Moses recalls missed opportunities, seasons of rebellion, and moments when fear kept Israel from embracing God’s promises. Yet he also reminds them that the Lord never abandoned them. He guided them through the wilderness, provided for their needs, defeated their enemies, and brought them to the threshold of the inheritance He had prepared from the beginning.

The same pattern is often true in our own lives. Looking back is valuable when it strengthens our confidence in God’s faithfulness rather than trapping us in regret. Past disappointments can become teachers instead of prisons. God’s grace enables us to acknowledge where we have fallen short while continuing to move toward the future He has prepared for us.

Every believer eventually stands at a place where faith requires action. There are times to remember and times to move forward. Fear often magnifies the obstacles before us, but faith remembers the God who has already carried us through countless challenges. The One who was faithful yesterday remains faithful today and will continue to be faithful tomorrow.

As you reflect during this Shabbat, consider the ways God has led you through previous seasons. Thank Him for His patience, His provision, and His mercy. Then ask Him for the courage to step confidently into whatever lies ahead. Like Israel standing on the edge of the Promised Land, we are invited to trust the God who always fulfills His word and faithfully leads His people forward.

PRAYER
Lord, thank You for Your faithfulness throughout every season of my life. Help me learn from the past without being held captive by it. Give me courage to trust Your promises, walk in obedience, and follow wherever You lead. Amen.