Where is God’s Country? What Difference Does It Make?

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 3:37 pm by Mark D. Roberts

Where is God’s Country? What Difference Does It Make? 2015-03-13T15:37:11-05:00 Mark D. Roberts

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Where Is God’s Country? What Difference Does It Make?

Psalm 86:1-17

All the nations you made
will come and bow before you, Lord;
they will praise your holy name.

Psalm 86:9

Two weeks ago, our Sunday reflection focused on Psalm 82:8: “Rise up, O God, and judge the earth, for all the nations belong to you.” I entitled that reflection “Where Is God’s Country?” The answer from our text was: Every country is God’s country.

Today, I want to return to the same question, though with a twist. Psalm 86:9 offers a different answer to the question “Where Is God’s Country?” as well as a new insight into why this matters.

Psalm 86 begins with David’s deeply personal cries to God. “Bend down, O Lord, and hear my prayer,” he begins. The first few verses of the psalm include several similar requests: hear my prayer; answer me; protect me; save me; be merciful to me; give me happiness; listen closely to my prayer; hear my urgent cry. But then, David’s perspective shifts from the intimately individual to the broadly global: “All the nations you made will come and bow before you, Lord; they will praise your holy name” (86:9).

Notice how this psalm identifies the nations (using the Hebrew word goyim , which often refers specifically to Gentiles). All the nations (not just Israel) have been made by God. Thus, they ultimately belong to him. Moreover, all nations “will come and bow before you, Lord” (86:9). David envisions a day when all peoples will bow before the Lord.

As Christians, we look forward to this day and participate in its beginning. We who are Gentiles have been brought into God’s family through Christ. We are invited to approach God’s throne, both to worship and to share our deepest desires and needs in prayer. Even as we delight in what we ourselves have experienced, we also look forward to the day when “at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2:10-11). In the meanwhile, we reach out with God’s love and truth, inviting all peoples from all nations to join us in offering praise to God.

QUESTIONS FOR FURTHER REFLECTION: When you think of God’s future, do you picture all nations coming to worship God? Why or why not? How might this picture influence the way you worship today? The way you live each day?

PRAYER: All praise be to you, O God, because you have created all things, including all nations.

All praise be to you, O God, because you have done great and wonderful deeds.

All praise be to you, O God, because one day all nations will come and bow before you, offering praise to your holy name.

All praise be to you, O God, because you alone are God. Amen.

_________________________________________________

Would you like to receive a Daily Reflection like this one in your email inbox each morning?

Here’s how . . . .

This devotional comes from The High Calling: Everyday Conversations about Work, Life, and God (www.thehighcalling.org). You can read my Daily Reflections there, or sign up to have them sent to your email inbox each day. This website contains lots of encouragement for people who are trying to live out their faith in the workplace. The High Calling is associated with Laity Lodge, where I work.

Inspiration from the High Calling

Psalm 86

Where is God's country

Previous Post

October 8, 2011

Wildlife in My Backyard

Next Post

October 10, 2011 You Don't See These Everyday! Scenes from New York

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Advent Advent Calendar Alissa Wilkinson Archeology Art and Faith Ash Wednesday Bible Books Business Business and Faith Christian Year (Liturgical or Church Year) Christmas Christmas according to Dickens Christmas, Culture, and Christ Christmas: Keeping Christmas Well Church and Culture Church and Ministry Church and Technology Church Life Church: What is a Church? Cities Code of Ethics for Pastors Contentment Creativity Cultural Commentary Culture Daily Reflections Dallas Willard Deliberating on Digital Dignity Easter Education Ephesus and the New Testament Ethics Eugene Peterson Evangelical Existential Questions Faith Faith and Work Family Food Friendship Fun Good Reads Gospel Centered Christianity Grace Handel's Messiah Harvard University Health High Calling History Holidays Holy Spirit Holy Week Hospitality How Does God Guide Us? Hunger Games Insights for Leaders - De Pree Center Inspiration from the High Calling Jesus Jesus: Following Him as a Disciple Jesus: Seven Last Words Jesus: Was Jesus Married? Jesus: What Was His Message? Jesus: Why Did He Have to Die? Laity Lodge Leadership Leadership Conversation Lent Les Miserables Life for Leaders Linda's Advent Doodles Linda's Lenten Doodles Living Well Loving Neighbors Max De Pree Center for Leadership Mental Health Mission of God and Missional Church Money Moral Dilemmas Mormonism Movies Nature New York City Pastors and Churches Pentecost Photos to Share Poetry Police Blotter Politics Prayer Preachers Portal Preaching Presbyterian Church Quotations Reading the Times Recommendations Reflecting on Technology Religion and Culture Ruminations Sabbath Science Seven Last Words Sexual Harassment Social Media Something to Think About Spiritual Warfare Sports Stations of the Cross Stephen Hawking: Heaven and Faith Stories Technology and Culture Technology and Education Technology and Mental Health Technology Bits Texas Thanksgiving The High Calling Thin Places Uncategorized Vocation Women Words Work Worship

Select a Month November 2018 October 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 March 2017 February 2017 December 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 April 2015 March 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 November 2010

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

I come in nine varieties including joy, peace, and self-control. What am I?

Select your answer to see how you score.

The gifts of the Spirit The fruit of the Spirit The works of righteousness Spiritual blessings