GoodNews

GoodNewsFL.org 33 MAY 2018 LOCAL &RPH DV \RX DUH DWPRVSKHUH 6XQGD\V # 30 : 6DPSOH 5G &RUDO 6SULQJV :H PHHW LQ WKH /XWKHUDQ &KXUFK %XLOGLQJ J %ULQJ WKH ZKROH IDPLO\ ÍŗƄȥŰćȪXōƙĩŽćĀȆȪ (TXLSSLQJ_(PSRZHULQJ_(QJDJLQJ ZZZ FLW\FKXUFKFRUDOVSULQJV RUJ 'HOUR\ 'DZQ 5RELQVRQ /HDG SDVWRU 4)"3&%300.4'033&/5 01 5'%74+6; &'215+6 1&38&&, 1&3 %":4 CBDLHSPVOEDIFDLGF QSJDJOHQFSQFSTPO -PDBUJPOTJO 10.1"/0#&"$) '035-"6%&3%"-& $"--PS5&95 " , Ƃ ", Ƃ 6 even our worst trials. The secret: wake Jesus! The power of His words and presence can calm any storm. During our scenic trip, Jesus was asking, “Where is your faith?” As Luke 8:22-25 played in my head, I understood better than ever that in order to survive any trial we cannot rely on our own strength. We must, like the disciples eventually did, wake up Jesus. We must, like the disciples eventually did, wake up His Holy Spirit inside of us to command our trials with His power. And just as soon as our boat started to rock, it was calm again. I stepped off the boat that day with a refreshed mindset and an eagerness to learn and grow further. As we continued our trip, we learned more and more about our own Christian roots in Israel. Approaching the holy city of Jerusalem, I ex- pected to feel more of God’s presence in the atmosphere. What I did feel surprised me, nothing. Exploring the city’s busy streets and markets, I continued to feel nothing and found myself asking, “Lord, why?” The an- swer…He no longer needs a city in which to dwell; He lives inside of me. This reinforced my faith, and it wasn’t the first time that Jesus showed himself to me dur- ing the trip. He was showing up through some sort of “God en- counter” to each of us on the bus. This common ground natu- rally bonded us together as fam- ily by the end of our journey. The Israel experience through Passages really changed my life. I truly see why organizations like Museum of the Bible and The Philos Project care about subsidizing young leaders like me to visit Israel. From showing His power on the Sea of Galilee, displaying His beauty at the Dead Sea, to speaking life into me in the old city of Jerusalem, I truly felt like I was reliving the roots of my faith. The Bible was now in-color as I journeyed through places where Jesus and his men walked and worked through their struggles. This was a personal journey that strengthened my faith and fueled my desire for fulfilling my God- given calling in this world. Israel made a lasting impact on my life and I’m ready for whatever comes next, are you? Isaiah Hazim is VP of To- morrow’s Leaders Today, a pro- gram of Elev8Life Educational Foundation. You can reach him at [email protected].