God’s word to Habakkuk after his prolonged prayers about the distressing situations in Israel was that he should look at the events in the nations. God further said: “For I am doing something in your own day, something you would not believe even if someone told you about it.” Beyond what God did during Habakkuk’s generation, He is obviously at work, today, in the nations, though we may not easily understand and appreciate what He is doing.
The Hebrew term “goy,” means a “nation.” The plural, goyim, means nations of the world that are not Hebrew. Whether it is the “people groups” definition of nations or the political demarcation called nations, God is interested in both.
Firstly, the spread of the gospel to all nations is a precondition for His second return to the earth (Matthew 24:14). Secondly, His supreme command to the church before He ascended to heaven was to go and disciple all the nations. If the church must disciple the nations then she must learn to discern what God is doing in the nations.
“And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying: “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit; teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age, amen,” (Matthew 28:18-20 NKJV).
The fulfillment of the Great Commission is of the highest priority to God. He will stop at nothing in mobilising all the resources in His heavenly arsenal to ensure the Church accomplishes the task given to her. So, when things unfold in the nations, we need to pray that God should give us understanding. The sovereign Lord created the nations for His purpose, and will not abandon His creation to someone else. Daniel rightly declared that God rules in the affairs of men, in the nations (Dan.4:17).
In one sense what happens in the nations is a gauge or measurement of what God is doing. Some of the happenings in the nations may look ugly, but may have the hand of God in them. God is shaking the nations and out of the upheavals of the divine shakings may arise situations, which we may not be able to understand unless with divine enlightenment. Out of the divine shaking will emerge the kingdom, which we have been relentlessly praying for.
“When God spoke from Mount Sinai his voice shook the earth, but now he makes another promise: “Once again I will shake not only the earth, but the heavens also.” This means that all of creation will be shaken and removed, so that, only unshakable things will remain. Since we are receiving a Kingdom that is unshakable, let us be thankful and please God by worshipping him with holy fear and awe,” (Hebrews 12:26-28 NLT).
God is interested in the nations for the end-time harvest. Most of what God does in the nations is for the reason of His Kingdom, for the reason of the end-time harvest of souls, so that at the end, His son may have preeminence in all things (Ephesians 1:9-10; Col.1:16, 20).
“He was given authority, honour, and sovereignty over all the nations of the world, so that people of every race and nation and language would obey him. His rule is eternal —it will never end. His kingdom will never be destroyed,” (Daniel 7:14 NLT).
•Contact:pastoracukachi@gmail.com
