The Scope of God's Mission--All Nations
Scripture Reading — Genesis 12:1-5
"I will bless you ... and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." Genesis 12:2-3
In the Old Testament, God may seem exclusively interested in the people of Israel, but a closer look shows that isn't so. God didn't think up a mission to the rest of the world only in the New Testament, or as a "Plan B" to his plan for Israel. When the Lord called Abraham, God already had all the nations of the world in mind. "I will make you into a great nation ... and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you."
From the start, God meant to pour his blessings not into a private pool but into a channel that would become a mighty river. And God's channels of blessing grow wider, not narrower. That's extremely good news for us, because most of us are not direct descendants of Abraham. Yet through Abraham came Jesus, and through faith in Jesus we may become Abraham's children and receive God's blessings.
These widening channels are still God's preferred way of operating. In Christ we have received blessings from God. The question is Who else does God want to bless through us? Will we be content simply to enjoy God's blessings for ourselves, or will we search for ways to put them to good use so that others may also benefit?
How can you keep the channel of God's blessing flowing today? To whom can you bring the living water you've received?
Lord, make us channels of your blessing. Teach us how to pour out our lives for others so that they too may know and experience your love in Christ. In his name, Amen.
About the author — Tim Holwerda
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