I have been preparing for my New Testament Survey examination and along the way I come across some interesting fact on the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea. There are a lot of lesson that we can learn from nature and a good example is from these two large lakes. Yes it is a lake!! Let me clarify that the Sea of Galilee is not a sea that we know or familiar with. It is a fresh water lake about thirteen miles long and seven miles wide. It is Israel. It is the largest fresh water lake. The Dead Sea, on the other hand, is a much different story. At 1,400 feet below sea level, its shores are the lowest dry land on earth. Its water is about ten times saltier that the some of the famous ocean. Depending on the season, the water of the Dead Sea is 35% salt.
Now here is something I learned recently. Both of these bodies of water are fed by the Jordan River. The Jordan River flows into the Sea of Galilee and then through the Sea of Galilee. It continues south and flows into the Dead Sea. The same water, and yet one lake filled with life and the other is dead. Here’s the difference. The Dead Sea is so far below sea level that it has no outlet streams. The water flows in, but it does not flow out. Daily, they say, 7 million tons of water evaporates from the Dead Sea, but the minerals remain, causing the salt content to be super concentrated.
Well, here is what nature can teach us about life. The Sea of Galilee takes water from the Jordan River, and then it gives water. The water simply passes through. As a result, the Sea of Galilee filled with life and beauty. The Dead Sea, on the other hand, only takes water. It gives nothing back, and as a result it sustains no life.
It is in receiving and then giving back that life and hope are sustained. The Sea that is alive is the one that gives. The more of yourself, of your life, of your love, that you pour out, the more alive, filled up, and refreshed you will become.
Someone once said: Give and you will live. Love, and you will be filled with God’s love. Hold back, and even that which you have will vanish away.
Let’s be givers. Let’s be lovers. Empty ourselves into His Kingdom, into His work, and be constantly refilled with His love, power and peace.
What is your choice today? Sea of Galilee or Dead Sea?
