We live in tumultuous times. But we can take comfort, as do our brothers and sisters in hostile areas and restricted nations, in trusting that our loving heavenly Father holds each of us in the palm of His hand.

What do Muslim believe? That there is no deity but Allah and that Muhammad is his prophet. That is the shahada of Islam.

It’s easy to compare the Old and New Testaments and think of missionary activity – the outward-focused spreading of faith in the God of the universe – as something new and unprecedented until Jesus’ time. After all, there is little evidence that Israelites traveled very far outside the Promised Land except as prisoners of war. However, a closer look at the Hebrew Bible shows that God had threaded mission as a constant theme throughout his word, and even into the very fabric of Creation.