The Lord [Still] Reigns
For the month of December, RP Global Missions invited you to join us as we reflected on this truth: The Lord Reigns! As we have shifted into 2024, I have found myself continuing this reflection. But isn’t that the way it should be? Even though our year-end campaign is over, the Lord is still reigning. And that truth should propel us in our missionary efforts.
As Krista (RPGM Communications Coordinator) and I brainstormed some ideas for the year-end campaign, we had several criteria in mind: it should be an engaging way to remember the Lord’s goodness from the year past, it should encourage us to look forward to the Lord’s deeds for the year ahead, and it should keep God’s heart and plans for the nations in the foreground. We played around with a few themes, but as we started looking at these theme ideas in their biblical contexts, I was surprised to find that the phrase “the Lord reigns” is used primarily as a call to the nations, to the world, to the peoples. It is a missionary’s declaration. That made “The Lord Reigns!” a clear choice.
Say among the nations, “The LORD reigns! Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved; he will judge the peoples with equity.” —Psalm 96:10, ESV
While this declaration should cause those who are in a state of rebellion toward our Creator to fear their fate, it is primarily intended as words of comfort for any and all who would seek him. There is common grace found in the establishment of the world and in God’s steady hand which prevents the globe from floating off into outer space. But the biggest grace is the equity in his judgement upon all peoples. There is no favoritism toward one people group over another. All will be judged with equity. And since we are all equally dead in our trespasses, we are also all equally dependent on the blood of Christ for our salvation, which the Lord offers all peoples as a free gift.
When we add this common grace and general revelation to special revelation and the glimpse we get into the heavenly kingdom, does it make your heart swell like it does mine? Do you not long for this day, to be included in this multitude?
After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” —Revelation 7:9–10, ESV
But even as those tears of joy and expectation begin welling up in my eyes, there is a heaviness that rushes in as I consider not only my friends and family who do not yet know the Lamb who takes away the sins of the world, but also entire people groups who have yet to hear of his name because they lack access to Christian churches and to preachers who proclaim the Lamb’s great name.
And that brings us back to Psalm 96. The Psalmist calls out to the people of God, commanding us to “Say among the nations, ‘The Lord reigns!’” Until there are ones “from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages” who are marked with the blood of the Lamb, we will not get to enjoy this eternal vision from Revelation 7. There is still work to be done. But we know our labor is not in vain. God’s promises are sure and true. His prophecies never fail. So we continue our pursuit of planting churches among the peoples who have little to no light shining in their communities. We continue to raise up laborers to go among the nations with this great message. We continue until that great day because “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne.”
The Lord reigns!