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What may encourage a household to maneuver internationally for the sake of the gospel? I dwell with my spouse and two youngsters in Cameroon, the place we planted a church and established an extension web site for Bethlehem Faculty and Seminary. Earlier than leaving the Western world, we persistently returned to Psalm 22:27–28 as the first motivation for our relocation:
All of the ends of the earth shall bear in mind
and switch to the Lord,
and all of the households of the nations
shall worship earlier than you.
For kingship belongs to the Lord,
and he guidelines over the nations.
We moved to a difficult place as a result of we consider within the God who owns all of the kingdoms of the earth, and who has promised that every one the households of the nations will worship earlier than him.
Missionaries, church planters, and all who labor among the many nations for the sake of the gospel can discover nice hope in Psalm 22. You may surprise, How can a psalm of lament be a supply of hope? We frequently bear in mind this psalm on Good Friday, the darkest day in historical past, however this isn’t only a Good Friday psalm. The concluding verses of Psalm 22 take us past the horrors of Calvary to an excellent hope for world missions, particularly in our darker seasons: “All of the ends of the earth shall bear in mind and switch to the Lord.”
The Darkish Valley
The primary a part of Psalm 22 captures David’s confusion. By all appearances, God has forsaken him though he has prayed tirelessly. Regardless of his circumstances, nonetheless, he confesses what’s at all times true of God: “You’re holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel” (Psalm 22:3). He additionally confesses that Israel’s historical past is a historical past of God’s faithfulness (Psalm 22:4–5). So though he feels confused about why God would forsake him, he says, “You’re he who took me from the womb; you made me belief you at my mom’s breasts” (Psalm 22:9). Trusting his God, David cries for rescue.
“The toughest coronary heart of the very best earthly king is within the hand of the Most Excessive.”
Then David ushers us deeper into his ache. He’s surrounded by lethal enemies who gloat over him. They pierce his arms and ft, and God appears to irritate his woes: “You lay me within the mud of loss of life” (Psalm 22:15). God seems to have joined the camp of his enemies. However even when he feels God’s hand in opposition to him, David cries, “Ship my soul from the sword. . . . Save me from the mouth of the lion” (Psalm 22:20–21).
Jesus took this psalm on his lips within the deepest darkness. Dying beneath God’s wrath, Jesus cried to God with David’s phrases. “My God, my God, why have you ever forsaken me?” His voice echoed the sound of silence. Did God hear David? Did he hear Jesus, the true Track of Israel?
Bear in mind and Return
Simply as God raised David from the “mud of loss of life” (Psalm 22:15), God raised Jesus our Savior from the tomb. And simply as David was raised in order that he may inform of God’s identify to his brothers, Jesus was raised to do the identical (Hebrews 2:10–12).
At the same time as God saved David for Israel’s sake, his functions prolonged past their borders. David says, “All of the ends of the earth shall bear in mind and return to the Lord, and all of the households of the nations shall worship earlier than you” (Psalm 22:27). What’s going to they bear in mind, and to what or whom will they return? The context of the psalm exhibits that they’ll keep in mind that God delivered his servant to his enemies to die an harmless loss of life, that God raised him to guide the congregation of his folks in worship, and that the dominion belongs to God alone. They are going to bear in mind and return to the God who alone is King.
Right here we discover energy for missions. As a result of kingship belongs to God and he guidelines over the nations, all of the households of the earth will come to him. The tribes amongst whom you minister the gospel will bear in mind and return. God will draw folks to himself for worship. No conflict, political chief, constitutional amendments, electoral consequence, or regime change can redirect his everlasting function of reconciling the world to himself. As a result of he instructions the destiny of countries, no cultural shift can derail his mission to unite all folks within the adoration of his glory.
David groans within the first a part of Psalm 22 and glories within the second. The construction of the psalm teaches us that grief, irrespective of how deep, is temporal; it is going to give solution to glory. After darkness comes gentle; after ache comes reward. This was true for David and for the brand new David, Jesus — and it will likely be true for his physique, the church.
Maybe you’re serving on the mission discipline, and your loved ones is in a season of trial. Don’t assume that this darkness means God’s phrases will fail. Don’t lose coronary heart. God’s mission can not fail. Kingship belongs to him. In your darkest days, let the nations see your resurrection hope.
Gentle for Your Labors
Psalm 22 has considerably formed my missionary work. Not solely did God use the psalm to maneuver our household to the sphere, however he now makes use of it to maintain us right here. Within the pains of ministry, God has jogged my memory repeatedly via Psalm 22 that our darkest moments in ministry usually are not the top of the story. Simply because the sufferings described within the first a part of the psalm give solution to reward and the promise of world worship, our trials within the mission discipline can result in the success of God’s promise that every one nations will worship him.
Swallowed by darkness, the Gentle of salvation burst forth to deliver the nations again to God.
- The anguish of the Messiah was for the adoration of the nations.
- The loss of life of the Messiah was for the dance of the nations.
- The ache of the Messiah was for the reward of the nations.
- The destroy of the Messiah was for the rejoicing of the nations.
- The struggling of the Messiah was for the salvation of the nations.
- The woe of the Messiah was for the worship of the nations.
Due to the darkness of the Messiah’s loss of life, God will set up his reign over all nations, who will all come to him for worship and rejoicing. Could we lengthy with Charles Wesley,
Oh, for a thousand tongues to sing
My nice Redeemer’s reward,
The glories of my God and King,
The triumphs of his grace.
And should we pray with Wesley and the saints of previous,
My gracious Grasp and my God,
Help me to proclaim,
To unfold via all of the earth overseas
The honors of thy identify.
Missions Underneath God’s Kingship
We pray, we lengthy, we undergo, we endure, we labor, we forged off discouragement, we lay apart sin — we work tirelessly and abundantly as a result of we all know that our God guidelines over the nations. He’ll see to it that our labor isn’t in useless. He’ll trigger the nations that oppose and hate him to recollect and return.
We labor as a result of we all know our God holds the hearts of kings in his arms and directs them like streams of water. The toughest coronary heart of the very best earthly king is within the hand of the Most Excessive, and he directs that coronary heart to do no matter he desires every time he desires. If God didn’t rule over the dominion of males, I’d not have hope for all times and ministry. However as a result of he does, we are able to labor within the hope of sure success.
Someday, “all of the ends of the earth shall bear in mind and switch to the Lord.” For King Jesus “guidelines over the nations.”
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