Israel- it's been in the news and on the minds of most throughout the world for years now. With the first Gulf War (Desert Storm and Desert Shield) to the second Gulf War (Shock and Awe & Operation Iraqi Freedom), incited by the attacks of 9/11, there has been little life which has not been affected by the events in the Middle East.

Israel, in my mind for a long time, was nothing more than this country across the globe, a small plod of dirt with divinely ancient roots, inbedded within hostile enviroments, both natural and manmade. Besides being the area of land in which the ancient battles of my biblical text were decidely fought, Israel never meant much to me. I had no personal connection or any kind of ties with the country so I thought very little of it and only saw of it what I read about and saw on the news. By the way my Bible and the images on my TV portray Israel- it hardly seemed to be a desirable destination.

However, I stand now only four days away from arriving in Tel Aviv, Israel to begin a quest to discover the biblical lands which I've so often read of. Me. I'm going. Not that co-worker that my Mom knew years ago and not that pastor that I saw on TV there- it's me that's going. When I decided to take my last semester at Southeastern University and travel with the school to Israel I was elated to say the least. It was nothing short of God's provision which enabled all the pieces to fit together which paved the road for me to travel. Psalm 37:23 states, "If the LORD delights in man's way, he makes his steps firm." God has had his hand in this matter of my life and is surely guiding my steps.

Israel. The Land of Promise. Canaan. Me. Now I see these words in a different light. No longer do they seem to be as distant as the stars from earth but now they appear bright on the horizon. They becon me, call me in a way i've never known before. These words are now something more personal, more real. Knowing where I'll soon be I'm filled with expectation and wonder, awe and inspiriation, fear and joy- promise.

I search my mind trying to think of what it will be like when I get there. Will the temple and surrounding countryside and peoples be much like they were when I read the Bible? Will there be a stark difference between the "Ancient Israel" of the Bible and the newer "Modern Israel"? Or will the two seem to blend together, both existing yet complimenting one another and running together just as a river empties into the sea? In four days- I'll see.