Healing Hearts After Horror
For former hostages and their families, the nightmare began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas terrorists crossed the border into Israel and abducted dozens of innocent civilians. In the days and weeks that followed, their lives were consumed by fear, anguish, and desperate hope.
Some families received the heartbreaking news that their loved ones had been killed and their remains discovered in Gaza. Others experienced the emotional return of relatives through hostage releases, but even in those moments of joy, the pain and trauma remained.
Today, many of these families continue to face an uphill battle toward emotional recovery. But thanks to friends like you, they are beginning to find comfort, support, and a path forward. Through the generous giving of valued donors, CBN Israel and our trusted local partners are providing therapeutic retreats for former hostages and their loved ones, giving them space to breathe, reflect, and begin healing.
In the quiet beauty of Eilat, surrounded by desert mountains and the Red Sea, these families are welcomed into a safe and nurturing environment. With the help of professional therapists, trauma counselors, and social workers, each retreat offers guidance and care for 25 to 30 participants at a time. Away from the pressure of daily life, they are able to process their experiences and connect with others who understand their pain.
Along with emotional support, these retreats also provide practical assistance, including legal guidance, financial advice, and career support. These vital resources help families navigate the challenges they now face, while working to prevent a widespread mental health crisis across the country.
Because of the compassion of caring friends like you, these survivors and their families are finding light in the darkness. One father, his voice filled with emotion, shared, “This retreat has been so meaningful. I am so grateful to those who helped make it possible.”
Your support of CBN Israel can bring hope, healing, and tangible help to many still recovering from the trauma of that tragic day. Thank you for standing with the people of Israel when they need it most.
Please join us today in bringing healing, help, and hope to those who need it most.
When Waters Speak of God
By Stephen Faircloth
The land of Israel is more than a backdrop for biblical events. Its rivers, hills, animals, and even its changing seasons fill the language of Scripture. The land itself shaped the metaphors, poetry, and images used by the prophets, psalmists, and storytellers of the Bible. To stand in certain places today is to hear, see, and feel the very scenes they described. The Dan Spring is one such place.
Located at the base of Mount Hermon, the Dan Spring is the largest of the three main sources that come together to form the Jordan River. Flowing with remarkable force, it produces an estimated 240 million cubic meters of water each year. In the winter and spring, as rains fall and snow melts from Mount Hermon, the sound of the rushing water becomes a deep, steady roar.
It is not difficult to understand why the psalmists drew spiritual imagery from this place. In Psalm 29, the writer describes the voice of the Lord over mighty waters, breaking cedars, and shaking the wilderness. References to Lebanon, Sirion, and Kadesh place this picture in the northern region surrounding the Dan Spring. To the psalmist, the roar of these waters reflected the power and majesty of God’s voice.
Psalm 42 offers another glimpse into the spiritual symbolism of these waters. Here, the psalmist compares his longing for God to a deer thirsting for fresh streams. Standing in the humid heat near the Dan Spring, he hears the thunder of its rushing flow and likens his feelings of being overwhelmed to waves and billows crashing over him. The geography is more than a backdrop. It is part of the message itself. The sound, the setting, and the experience all speak to the soul’s deep need for God.
Visiting the land of Israel is more than seeing historic sites. It is stepping into the physical world of the Bible and allowing the land to deepen our understanding of God’s Word. At the Dan Spring, creation itself declares the glory of God, reminding us that the geography of the Bible is one of its most vivid teachers.
If the psalmists could listen to rushing waters and hear the voice of God, what in your own surroundings can remind you of His power and presence? What everyday sights and sounds could you use as a prompt for worship?
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.
Weekly Devotional: Speaking Life
“The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence” (Proverbs 10:11).
Our words are powerful. They can build up or tear down, heal or wound, bring hope or cause despair. Proverbs tells us that the mouth of the righteous is like a fountain of life. That is more than a beautiful image. It is a spiritual standard for every follower of Christ.
Jesus explained why our words matter so much. They flow from the heart: “For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matthew 12:34).
The psalmist understood this connection too, which is why he prayed, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer” (Psalm 19:14).
In biblical thought, the “heart” was not simply the seat of emotions but the center of reason, thought, and will. What fills our hearts shapes our thoughts, and what fills our thoughts shapes our words. If we meditate on God’s truth, our speech will reflect His love and righteousness. If we fill our minds with bitterness, pride, or fear, that will come out too.
In our world today, words are more public than ever. Social media has given nearly everyone a platform to speak instantly and globally. We can use that voice to encourage, inspire, and speak truth in love, or we can use it to vent, attack, and stir division. The choice is ours.
Some even justify harsh and unkind speech in the name of defending God or His truth. But Scripture calls us to a higher way. Our words should reveal that we belong to Christ. They should carry life to those who hear them.
So, what do your words reveal about your heart? Do they refresh, strengthen, and encourage? Or do they drain, discourage, and wound? Today, let us choose words that give life.
PRAYER
Father, fill my heart with Your truth and my mind with Your wisdom so that my words bring life to those around me. May my speech always honor You and encourage others. Amen.
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