The morning light over Israel’s Judean hills is unlike anywhere else. The sun rises slowly over the ancient ridges, revealing soft curves of limestone paths etched into the slopes by centuries of shepherds and their sheep. From a distance, these trails look almost circular, as though the flock is walking in loops. But as you step closer, you notice something extraordinary. Each loop does not bring them back to where they started. The shepherd guides them on a slow, ascending spiral, higher and higher, until the flock reaches safe pasture on the top of the ridge.
This is the landscape that shaped David’s words: “He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake” (Psalm 23:3).
These are not straight paths but carefully designed trails crafted by shepherds who know the land, the dangers, and the sheep. And in this ancient terrain, you discover something profound about God’s guidance in your own life.
Why do these trails matter to us?
We all ask it at some point: “Why am I here again? Why does this feel familiar? Haven’t I walked this before?” Life can feel like a loop, the same struggle resurfacing, the same insecurity knocking again.
But in Israel, the very land speaks.
Those spiralling shepherd paths preach a quiet truth:
You may feel like you are circling, but heaven sees you rising.
God never leads you in pointless cycles.
He leads you in righteous paths, upward and grace filled.
What looks like repetition is actually elevation.
What feels like going in circles is divine progression.
Your Shepherd is taking you higher.
Jesus the Good Shepard
When Jesus called Himself the Good Shepherd in John 10, He was not speaking in nice poetry. He was speaking as One who walked the very paths carved by shepherds for their sheep. He knew what it was to guide, protect, and elevate His flock.
In these hills, sheep cannot climb straight up. A direct ascent is too dangerous. Their legs buckle, their balance fails, and they slip. So shepherds lead them on gentle spiralling paths that feel repetitive but are actually strategic. Every turn builds stamina, strengthens the legs, and shifts the perspective.
This is how Jesus leads you.
Isaiah 40:11 paints Him as the tender Shepherd who “gathers the lambs with His arm.” Psalm 37:23 promises, “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord.” And Romans 8:28 reminds us that all things work together in His hands, even the seasons that feel redundant.
Jesus is not just leading you. He is developing you.
Not just moving you. He is elevating you.
Not just guiding your steps. He is shaping your soul to receive more of His glory and grace.
And as you walk, He walks ahead. John 10:4 says, “He goes before them”, just as shepherds still do in Israel today. He knows the turns because He chose them. He knows the climb because He has walked it for you.
Standing on the trails of Righteousness
Imagine walking up Mount Arbel. The path is steep, the stones keep shifting under your shoes, and every bend looks exactly like the last. You stop, catch your breath, and wonder, “Is this even going anywhere?”
I felt that on the trail with my wife. The climb felt repetitive. The path behind us looked identical to the path ahead. It seemed like we were stuck in the same place.
But then I stepped to the edge, looked down, and the Lord whispered, “Look again.”
The valley we had walked through was no longer beside us. It was far below. We had been rising the entire time, even though it did not feel like it.
And that is how God often works.
You look at your life and think, “Why am I facing this again? Why does this feel familiar? Why am I back here?” But you are not back where you were. You are higher than before. Stronger than before. Closer to Jesus than before. The ground may look the same, but your elevation has changed.
On these slopes the presence of Jesus becomes clear. The Good Shepherd is not waiting at the top. He is walking with you in every step. His voice is steady. His grace is carrying you. His strength is growing you.
He is lifting you.
He is guiding you.
He is leading you upward in paths of righteousness.
Not for your name’s sake.
For His name’s sake.
Israel is Calling
There is something about stepping into the very landscape where David tended his sheep and where Jesus walked with His disciples that changes you. It is one thing to read Psalm 23. It is another to stand on the ground that shaped it.
At Soar Tours, we believe these are not ordinary trips. They are appointments designed by God. When you walk these winding paths in Israel, you will sense Jesus drawing close, unveiling areas where He has been lifting you all along.
Your faith will rise. Your spirit will soar. And your heart will find rest in the Shepherd who never leads you in circles but always leads you higher.
The paths are still there.
The Shepherd is still calling.
Come ascend in Israel, the land of the Bible with us.