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WEDNESDAY IN THE WORD DEVOTIONAL – JULY 1, 2026
“EVERY NATION, EVERY TRIBE, ONE SONG”
REVELATION 7:9-10 NRSV
Picture the astonishing scene John sees as Christ gathers the redeemed from every people on earth: “a great multitude that no one could count, from every mountain, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white, with palm branches in their hands. They cried out in a loud voice, saying,”Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”
The crowd before the throne is so vast that it defies human calculation: saints from every nation, tribe, people, and language group. They stand before God’s throne in reverent worship before the Lamb. Their white robes speak of purity, and their palm branches proclaim victory. Their songs rises with one great confession: salvation belongs to God and to the Lamb. What a picture this is: the saints redeemed, the nations gathered, and the people of God rejoicing before the throne.
God will not be defeated. There will be no empty thrones in heaven, no thinly populated glory while the devil claims the majority. What kind of salvation would that be? Many will be saved–many from, every nation–and only God knows how many. That confidence ends sectarianism, pessimism, and evangelistic discouragement. Away, then, with poor-me-ism and unbelief. When cultural decline makes hope feel dim, it can be hard to see Christ’s light and sense God’s presence. Yet even in despair, we need this assurance: God is with us, and God will provide–even if not in the way we expect. In the end, God wins–and God wins big. Every barrier will be swept away, every prejudice gone, every human strife left behind, and every partisan quarrel forgotten.
While we continue to wait, we proclaim Jesus as the light of the world, the presence of God shining on all nations. So let us unite in patient hope and joyful faith, standing guard amid present uncertainties. God is the source of our strength, keeing us walking by faith until faith becomes sight. What a good day it will be when all God’s children gather around the throne.
So, persevere knowing that we obey not to become different, but because we have already been made different in Christ. Jesus is our spiritual light, and following him leads us into unity, witness, and glory before a watching world.
This is the glory of the Lord revealed in Christ. Give thanks for God’s wonderful Son. Join the multitude in worshipping him today. And though every celebration and distraction, hold fast to this truth: the Almighty who has broken into human history for your sake and mine. Therefore, cultivate a life of praise–and keep your eyes fixed on the throne, where the multitude will one day cry with one voice,
“Salvation belongs to our God, and to the Lamb!” AMEN.
Rev. Carole M. Moore, Assistant Pastor
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