Deuteronomy 6:4b-9 (NIV) 4bThe LORD our God, the LORD is one. 5Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your mind and with all your strength. 6These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 7Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.
Psalm 78:2-7 (NIV) 2I will open my mouth with a parable; I will utter hidden things, things from of old – 3things we have heard and known, things out ancestors have told us. 4We will not hide them from their descendants; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD, his power, and the wonders he has done. 5b ...which he commanded our ancestors to teach their children, 6so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children. 7Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget his deeds but would keep his commands.
Psalm 102:18 (NIV) 18Let this be written for a future generation, that a people not yet created may praise the LORD.
Psalm 71:14-18 (NIV) 14As for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more. 15My mouth will tell of your righteous deeds, of your saving acts all day long – though I know not how to relate them all. 16I will come and proclaim your mighty acts, Sovereign LORD; I will proclaim your righteous deeds, yours alone. 17since my youth, God, you have taught me, and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds. 18Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, my God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your mighty acts to all who are to come.
Ephesians 6:18-20b (NIV) 18And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. 19Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, 20b ...Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.
We have a story – a reality – to tell to the Nations, and to all future generations. All have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory (c.f., Romans 3:23). But God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son to be our Savior (c.f., John 3:16). Anyone who will declare that Jesus is Lord, and will believe in their heart will be saved (c.f., Romans 10:9-10). Jesus is our Shepherd (c.f., John 10:7-18); Jesus is the only way to Salvation (c.f., John 14:6-14); He will send the Holy Spirit and He will come again (c.f., John 14:15-29)!
We’ve a Story to Tell to the Nations (H. Ernest Nichol, 1896)
We’ve a story to tell to the nations that shall turn their hearts to the right, a story of truth and mercy, a story of peace and light, a story of peace and light.
We’ve a song to be sung to the nations that shall lift their hearts to the Lord, a song that shall conquer evil and shatter the spear and sword, and shatter the spear and sword.
We’ve a message to give to the nations that the Lord who reigneth above hath sent us His Son to save us, and show us that God is love, and show us that God is love.
We’ve a Saviour to show to the nations who the path of sorrow hath trod, that all of the world’s great peoples might come to the truth of God, might come to the truth of God.
For the darkness shall turn to dawning, and the dawning to noonday bright, and Christ’s great kingdom shall come to earth, the Kingdom of love and light.
Lord God, our Father;
Forgive our excuses, our hesitations, and our neglect of proclaiming your truth to those within our sphere of influence. How can we keep such hope and promise to ourselves? With apostle Paul, I pray that we might declare it fearlessly as we ought – and with the Psalmist, even when we are old and gray to this generation and all those yet to come.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
The devotional We’ve a Story to Tell to the Nations appeared first on Write From My Heart at https://writefrommyheartblog.blogspot.com
Email: Dotty Willmon, writefrommyheartblog@gmail.com
Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®, Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Advent Christian Hymnal, ACGC, 1952.
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