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Let the peoples praise You, O God; let all the peoples praise You! Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for You judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth. Let the peoples praise You, O God; let all the peoples praise You! (Psalm 67:3-5)
According to a survey several years ago, some Christian young people were reluctant to share the Good News of salvation for fear of offending those who held different spiritual beliefs. If we respond in that way, we are forgetting what the psalmist knew. God loves all people and wants to hear their praise. On his missionary journeys, the apostle Paul introduced the people of Athens to the God they worshiped as “unknown,” the true God who gives life and breath to all people. From Adam, the first man, God created every nation on earth and determined the time and boundaries of each of those nations (see Acts 17:25-26). God, who establishes the nations, loves the people He made. In love and grace, God called the patriarch Abraham to be the father of a great nation. Through Jesus the Messiah, the descendant of Abraham, all the families on earth would be blessed.
God continued to speak through the prophets as they repeatedly proclaimed His message of hope and salvation, not only for Israel but for all nations. The Messiah would suffer and die for all people: “I will make you as a light for the nations, that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth” (Isaiah 49:6b). At the right time the promise was fulfilled and Jesus was born in Bethlehem. An angel announced the Savior’s birth as good news of great joy for all the people. Jesus was the promised Savior through whom all the families of the earth would be blessed. As the apostle Paul writes, “In Christ God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them” (2 Corinthians 5:19b).
The message of reconciliation, the good news for all people, has been entrusted to us. Jesus commanded His followers to make disciples of all nations, to baptize and teach. The Savior suffered and died for people of all nations, but not everyone will believe. Many will deny the good news about Jesus’ death and resurrection. They will reject God’s love and saving purpose for them (see Luke 7:30). But everywhere the message of salvation is proclaimed, the Holy Spirit calls people to repentance and enlightens their hearts and minds with the Gospel. Already now the psalmist’s words are being fulfilled, and the day is coming when we will join a great multitude from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, to stand before God’s throne and praise the Lamb who was slain for our salvation. Believers from every nation will be glad and sing for joy, praising the Lord who died and rose to save us!
WE PRAY: Savior, lead me to share the good news of salvation so that others will join in praising You. Amen.
This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Carol Geisler.
Reflection Questions:
- What is your biggest fear in sharing your faith?
- Does God speak through us like He did the prophets and priests of old? How so?
- Knowing it’s God’s Holy Spirit who brings people to faith, does that encourage you to share Jesus more freely?
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