Dear Friend,

Greetings from Israel. Recently, I was privileged to listen to an incredible testimony of a man in his 60s who was visiting the Holy Land from Arkansas. Two months after losing his wife to cancer, his only son died. Shortly afterward, his sister died, followed by his mother and other close family members. All of this happened during a four-year period.

During that time, he also battled cancer and had his tongue removed as part of the treatment. He learned that he would never chew, taste, or eat regular food. Moreover, he was told that he would never speak again. This was difficult for him to hear because he wouldn’t be able to teach the Bible, impacting people for the Kingdom of God, as he had done for many years.

While his compounded grief and pain during those four years is hard to imagine, the truths he shared about walking through seasons of suffering resonated with my own faith journey. I also realized the importance of his perspective on life to our nation of Israel, based on what we are currently facing.

This seasoned Believer in Yeshua/Jesus as Messiah spoke of sovereign joy. Unlike happiness, this joy is not dependent on our circumstances. Thus, we can experience joy even during sorrow if we know who God is and how He works. While it’s not easy to find joy in such sorrowful situations, we must seek it. Without joy, most people succumb to fear and hopelessness; they become tired, overwhelmed, and eventually resentful.

Crucial Decisions

I believe that sovereign joy comes through four important choices:

1. Choose to focus on the things above

Our focus becomes our filter. Fear robs us of joy. It is one of Satan’s greatest tools to get a Believer off track through distraction. Our enemy sows seeds of doubt, seeking to derail us from knowing and following God’s plans and purposes. Doubt asks: “What if I never get there? What if I get hurt? What if I don’t have enough?” When we focus on these questions, we live under the tyranny of doubt since 95% of the “what ifs” we ask are negative.

Instead, we should consider some positive “what if” questions: “What if God eventually fulfills ALL of His promises? What if He is trustworthy and true to His word? What if God is faithful?” We can choose what we think about. Though Satan diligently seeks to get us to take our focus away from the Lord, we combat this inclination by setting our minds on things above: “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things” (Col. 3:1–2).

Our focus affects our relationships, health (both physical and mental), attitudes, and other parts of our lives. That’s why the Apostle Paul exhorts Believers: “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things” (Phil. 4:8).

2. Choose to count your blessings and be thankful

Counting your blessings — one by one — restores your hope as you recall what the Lord has already done for you. “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows” (James 1:17).

Naming your blessings individually, rather than generally thanking God for His goodness, renews your perspective, which restores your joy. Thankfulness is also important for experiencing breakthrough in difficulty. We see this often in the Book of Psalms, when King David continually cried out to the Lord, thanking Him for what He had done or would soon do on David’s behalf.

3. Choose to dwell on God’s promises

God’s promises are more powerful than Satan’s lies and discouragement. Since fear blinds us to hope, focusing on our problems always makes us feel worse. Those who continue to make this mistake become prisoners of their problems and slaves to their circumstances. They lose the right perspective, since focusing on a problem causes it to become larger and larger, eventually crowding out all other perspectives.

To combat pessimism and hopelessness, we must stop looking at the problem and instead focus on God’s promises. This frame of mind requires faith, which comes by hearing the Word of God (Rom. 10:17). Regularly meditating on God’s promises in His Word strengthens our faith and helps us to gain the proper perspective: “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the Church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen” (Eph. 3:20–21).

Here is one of my favorite verses: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose” (Rom. 8:28). I take great comfort in knowing that God is always working in my life — in my circumstances and people’s actions — turning it all for good. Even when I can’t see it at the moment, I acknowledge that nothing is wasted in God’s Kingdom.

4. Choose to obey and act

Choosing joy puts the negative into the right perspective. Yeshua (Jesus) advised: “I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

You can have peace when you understand that despite trouble and difficulty, the Lord has already won the battle. The problem for many people isn’t “head knowledge.” While most Jews in the first century thoroughly knew the Scriptures, they still missed Yeshua their Messiah (John 5:39–40). The alternative to head knowledge is “knowing in your heart,” which you often learn about through grief.

Grief is a great teacher. Learning to live and even thrive through it, however, requires spiritual maturity. You learn to trust God as you walk with Him through pain, grief, and suffering. You learn that He will not drop you; rather, He will sustain and uphold you. Thus, choosing sovereign joy amid suffering is not ignoring reality; actually, it is recognizing a greater reality.

Growing in the Darkness

Periods of darkness in our lives are often the most opportune times of spiritual growth, because we must practice what we proclaim. In these times, we find out “what our faith is made of.” But if we lose sight of the One whom we are following, darkness can bring fear.

In The Return of the Prodigal Son, Henri Nouwen writes: “People who have come to know the joy of God do not deny the darkness, but they choose not to live in it. They claim that the light that shines in the darkness can be trusted more than the darkness itself and that a little bit of light can dispel a lot of darkness.” Admittedly, it is hard to hear God during these times, but just because you cannot hear God does not mean that He is no longer with you.

Joseph, Jacob’s eleventh son, made these crucial choices related to joy and perspective. His own brothers sold him into slavery. After arriving in Egypt, he became an attendant to Potiphar, an important official. While Joseph found favor with his master, Potiphar’s wife tried to seduce him. Though Joseph refused her advances, he was falsely accused and thrown into prison. There, Joseph found favor with the warden. When two important prisoners arrived from the king’s palace, Joseph attended them.

Joseph asked the two former servants of the king why they were downcast. That seems like a strange question to ask prisoners. Yet this seemingly odd question reveals an amazing truth — Joseph never chose hopelessness, neither when he was a slave nor while he was in prison. Eventually, Joseph became the second highest authority in the greatest empire of that time. He remained faithful in his actions, and his heart remained steadfast despite all of the difficulties that he experienced.

“Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10). Remember Yeshua’s words: “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much…” (Luke 16:10).

Im tirdefu lada-at oto — “Press on to know HIM!” (Hosea 6:3 NLT)

Many blessings from Israel,

Sarah Liberman

P.S. Thank you for continuing to pray for the people of Israel, who need to experience the joy that comes through faith in Yeshua. Your support of this ministry enables them and others around the world to hear and respond to His Good News. ✡

Shine Your Light

In these tumultuous times, a smile, hug, or word of encouragement can be a precious gift. When our tour groups visit the Holy Land, we look for opportunities to share joy with others — whether a waiter at lunch, a shopkeeper, or even people we pass on the street. While touring Israel enriches our lives, it also builds relationships, giving us a chance to share the love of Christ in a tangible way.

We pray and believe that the doors will soon reopen for us to experience the Land of the Bible. Israelis have endured many hardships and dark days. Would you consider joining us in bringing light and good news? This pilgrimage would enhance your spiritual life and could also enrich the lives of many people in Israel. To join our upcoming tour, contact our tour manager, Sandra, at 214-696-9760, travel@levitt.com, or at levitt.com/tours.

Our Jewish Roots TV programs in July

David and Kirsten Hart

Zola Levitt was always at the forefront of new developments in Israel. Just as filming in the Holy Land was his norm, we also strive to uphold his vision and tradition. While the Biblical teaching, dramatic reenactments, and music videos are usually filmed in Israel, our OJR studio segments are traditionally produced in Dallas, Texas.

This month, however, our “set” will look different, as we “Zoom” in from our home in Orlando to join Joshua and Caleb at the studio in Dallas. If you’re interested in learning the truth about current events in Israel, you will want to see each and every episode this month.