Happy are you O Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by the Lord, the shield of your help and the sword of your triumph (Deut 33:29). The nation of Israel stood at last at the Jordan. A new generation looked across the river toward the Promised Land on the other side. They’d waited, wandered, and wondered for forty years. Now, the time had finally come. Moses blessed the people with his final words, ending in praise to God who had kept them and provided for them again and

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid” (John 14:27) Enjoying a meal together, reclining at the table as Passover begins, Jesus once again alludes to His leaving. Bewildered and discouraged, the disciples try to understand where He would go and why He would leave. Distress begins to rise, and He reassures them with reminders of His identity, His promises, and His ins

I remember the first time I said goodbye to her. Now she’s saying goodbye to me. We were inching along through Dar es Salaam traffic in our Toyota Land Cruiser, the windows cracked just enough for air since the A/C wasn’t working. Our firstborn sat in her car seat, maybe eight or nine months old, while a missionary friend joined us for the ride. My husband was dropping us off for to attend a women’s retreat. I’d been so looking forward to that weekend. Longing for a time for