I got the answer

On the 7th night in Israel my pastor friend asked me if I got the answer I was looking for. I did. This was a moment I needed to mark.

Our trajectories change when we encounter God. Believers must mark these moments, so we don’t forget where God met us.

Names Change

The encounter happened for Jacob when he wrestled with God. (Gen 32:22–32) It was God who first marked the moment by changing Jacob’s name to Israel. The exchange that night was palpable resulting in Jacob limping away – but not before God changed his name. When God changes a name, it is packed with meaning. For Jacob, this new name meant “one who struggles or prevails with God”.

Jacob mirrored God’s move. He in-turn, marked the moment by naming the place Peniel, saying, ‘For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered'”. Peniel is a combination of the word Panim meaning “face” and El for “God”.

This was a call and response initiated by God. These name changes memorialize the encounter and helped strengthen Jacob’s faith and the faith of generations to follow him.

Stones Stand

The encounter happened for Israel after they repented and returned to the Lord.  (1 Sam 7) Samuel called for their repentance and Israel responded and returned to the Lord. At Mizpah, in the face of the advancing enemy, Samuel made a burnt offering and called on the Lord. The Lord answered and thundered loudly against the enemy and threw them into such confusion that they fled before Israel.

There Samuel erected a stone and said, “Till now the Lord has helped us”. He named it Ebenezer which literally means “stone of help.” This would commemorate the divine victory and stand for generations to follow.

Moments Matter

Some moments are too powerful to forget. Commemorating the testimony of God’s intervention, it’s a biblical thing to do. Israel’s story is full of examples.

Each time we see that we are called to remember, because this is how we feed our faith.

Seventh Return

This summer marked my seventh return to the Holy Land. Deeper than just a tour, this trip was a time of personal pilgrimage. It operated a bit like Gideon’s fleece. I was seeking the assurance of God’s call. My prayer was that God would give me a “Lev Gadol” (big heart) for His ancient people.

There are several key locations which had great personal impact. Nazareth was one. There I realized that Jesus, as boy, would have looked down upon the valley of Megiddo from the very hills of Nazareth. The cell at Caiaphas’ House, was another. In the dark rock-cut chamber I read Psalm 88. This is where Jesus was held after His arrest at Gethsemane. It was here in this confined space that He suffered in solitude before His crucifixion. The capstone moment however was my time at the Wailing Wall, at the Western Wall. This is the place is where Jews pray due to its unique connection to where the temple stood, where the Shekhinah resided within the Holy of Holies.

Heart Ache

The encounter happened for me, there, at the wall. I was driven to be there and returned repeatedly, to pray, to read, and to meditate. It was a sweet time of communion. Each time I left the wall, however, it became bittersweet. Those praying at the same wall, to my left and to my right, were also seeking the nearness of God. Believers understand that without the Messiah, that nearness remains out of reach. This ached my heart.

This was the moment I needed to mark. This was the answer my pastor friend had asked about. Encountering God changes our trajectories.

I’ve marked what God is telling me in this season. Have you marked the works of God in your life?

Israel Today Ministries feeds children and Holocaust survivors in Israel.  Thank you for your prayers and partnership!

May God, bless you,

Scott Johnson

• Scott Johnson is a Senior Middle East Analyst, who lived and worked in the Middle East, and has degrees from Moody Bible Institute and the University of London. He is an ITM Board member.