I will declare my choice to the nations

Psalm 67

May God be merciful and bless us. May his face smile with favor upon us.
May your ways be known throughout the earth, your saving power among people everywhere. May the nations praise you, O God. Yes, may all the nations praise you. Let the whole world sing for joy, because you govern the nations with justice and guide the people of the whole world.
May the nations praise you, O God. Yes, may all the nations praise you. Then the earth will yield its harvests, and God, our God, will richly bless us. Yes, God will bless us, and people all over the world will fear him.

This passage in Psalms is really interesting to me. I have been reading and studying from the Old Testament a lot and it seems very odd to me that a God that was only for the Jews would want the whole nations to praise him. I mean really how did God govern all the nations that were killed by the Israelites with justice? It just does not make sense to me. Although, this psalm could have been written to help bridge the Old Testament with the New Testament.

I´m very thankful for this psalm because it supports Jesus´ teachings in the New Testament. What would our world be like if Christ had never come to earth to die for us? I really don´t think I would be alive, because I would have been born a Gentile, and God would have probably led the Jewish nation to kill my Gentile family, right? Now that Easter is over it makes me more thankful to be in a different nation. I mean after what we just celebrated with Christ´s resurrection and all, he specifically told us to ¨…go and make disciples of all nations… Matthew 28¨, ¨Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone… Mark 16¨, ¨Yes, it was written long ago that the Messiah would suffer and die and rise from the dead on the third day. It was also written that this message would be proclaimed in the authority of his name to all the nations... You are witnesses of all these things… Luke 24¨, ¨Do you love me more than these?¨ Peter replied, yes I love you.¨ ¨ Jesus said, then feed my lambs… take care of my sheep…then feed my sheep… then Jesus told him, `follow me.` John 21.¨ Being in Colombia has made me realize and has confirmed my calling, which is simply to go to the nations.

A song that I have been singing in my head for the past few days...

I will declare my choice to the nations, I will shout for joy in the congregation. I will worship God, worship God, all my days. Those who love the Lord are satisfied, those who trust in Him are justified. I will serve my God all my days. When the nations crumble, the Word of the Lord will stand. Kings may rise and fall, but his love will endure. Though the strong may stumble, the joy of the Lord is strength to my soul. I will not be shaken, I will not be moved, I will not be shaken.

Faith like a Child... Fe como un niño

About that time the discliples came to Jesus and asked, "Who is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" Jesus called a little child to him and put the child among them. Then he said, "I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. And anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf is welcoming me. But if you cause one of these little ones who trusts in me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to have a large millstone tied around your neck and be drowned in the depths of the sea." "Beware that you don´t look down on any of these little ones, for i tell you that in heaven their angels are always in the presence of my heavenly Father."
One day some parents brought their children to Jesus so he could lay his hands on them. But the disciples scolded the parents for bothering him. But Jesus said, "Let the children come to me. Don´t stop them! For the kingdom of heaven belongs to those who are like these children." And he placed his hands on their heads and blessed them before he left. --Matthew 18:1-6,10; 19:13-14--

This past week i was reflecting on a few things, and i came to realize that in both my training in Chicago and also my time spent in Colombia, I have spent with children. In Chicago i worked at Gad´s Hill, a daycare & preschool, in the mornings. I spent my afternoons at a YMCA where i helped school kids with their homework. Also, a major portion of my activities in Colombia involve children. The work i have joined in Anapoima includes many kids. In fact every time i go to the town, i find myself hanging with the kids. This past week Colegio Americano Menno began the new school year. At the school i am helping out 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade. The school is filled with 500+ students. As i was reflecting i was thinking "Wow! I am spending way too much time with kids, when i return i´m not going to be able to communicate with adults." Then i realized that i too had been blessed to have lived in a home with 3 wonderful sisters, and my home in Colombia also includes 2 new sisters whom i have appreciated very much. So then i realized that God has prepared me for my time in Colombia throughout my whole life. Later that evening i happened to be reading in Matthew and i came accross 2 different passages where Jesus was encountered by children. So now i finally got it, God wanted to teach me to not only interact with the children but to be like them, to take after them, and to be vulnerable just as they are.