The redemption of humanity started with one man, then one family, then a nation. This week, that circle has enlarged to the entire world.

Psalm 96 beckons the whole world to sing a new song to the Lord. I can’t help but notice this is exactly where God has been heading all along: the worship of the King by all the nations of the earth.

The nations and peoples of the world aren’t pet projects to be completed; they are people God intends to call to Himself, to the joy of knowing Him, and His glory is declared among them as a result simply because He’s worthy.

Loving and embracing the nations doesn’t mean acceptance of every god, form of pagan worship, or that any of those stories find equal standing before God. It’s actually the opposite. Scripture’s global vision of the Gospel declares there is one Creator, one Lord, and He alone deserves the worship of every person and people group on the earth.

The risen King is gathering a people from every tribe, language, people, and nation to call Him Lord. Through the power of His Spirit, people who once stood far apart have become one family without reducing their uniqueness and identity before God.

Psalm 96 gives us an incredible picture of all creation rejoicing, being glad, and shouting before the Lord! The gathering of the nations is part of this renewal, of this proclamation of praise and mercy.

Redeeming the nations for the sake of His glory isn’t a side-quest for seriously mission-minded Christians. It’s the heart and core of the Gospel itself. Every time someone from across the globe declares faith in Jesus, we are privileged to witness a tiny glimpse of the completion of His great plan, a tiny window of where this thing is heading.

And so we sing, we rejoice, and we praise, because the very same God who welcomed us deserves to be known among all the peoples of the world.

If you could bring to mind that when you worship you are joining a people God is gathering from across the earth, would it change anything for you? Where might God be inviting you to move from appreciating His global mission to participating in it, making His glory known? 

Father, You are mighty and worthy of praise. Let Your glory be declared and believed among all the nations of the world. Accept and receive my worship, my life, my resources, and my witness as part of Your mission until the whole earth rejoices before its King. Amen.

“Today I praise God that His glory is being made known among __________________.”