The Mission | the Unfolding Story of God's Redemptive Purpose (Family Devotional)Sample

CONNECT

Ask each family member to pick a nation that you do not know much about and find out the answers to the following questions pertaining to your chosen nation:

• How many languages are spoken in that nation?
• What are the common types of food consumed by its people?
• What traditions do they have that are unique to them?

There are about 195 recognized nations in the world, each with its own distinct culture, traditions, and characteristics that make it unique. But do you know that one day, even with all these differences, all nations will bow down and worship Jesus together?

READ THE WORD

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? . . . All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the LORD, and all the families of the nations shall worship before you. . . . Posterity shall serve him; it shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation. . . . they shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn, that he has done it.

Psalm 22:1, 27, 30, 31

This psalm of David begins with deep pain: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

In this psalm, David cries out to God, feeling very hopeless. But more than David’s own suffering, this psalm also points to the suffering of Jesus on the cross, where He dies to save people across the earth. Christ died on the cross not just for a select few but for people of all nations. This is the victory that David sees at the end of the psalm. The last verses declare that people from all nations and future generations will worship the Lord and proclaim His righteousness. This was fulfilled in Jesus’ cry on the cross, “It is finished.” His work is complete, bringing the good news to every nation and every generation, including us!

HUDDLE

Parent/s to Kid/s

2–6 years old

• Who did Jesus die for on the cross?
• Do you know any kids who need to hear about Jesus?

7–12 years old

• What is the farthest nation you can think of? Do you think people from that nation have heard of Jesus?
• Can you imagine a time when all nations will worship Jesus? What may that look like?
• What can you do to help bring the gospel to the ends of the earth?

Kid/s to Parent/s

• What will happen to people who live in the mountains and far-off places if they have never heard of Jesus?
• What can our family do to help bring the gospel to the nations?

Jesus died on the cross to save the world. While we may not all have the chance to go to different places and share about God’s love, we all have family, friends, neighbors, and people in our lives who may not have yet heard about the gospel. Telling them about Jesus will be our part in God’s mission.

PRAY

Dear God, thank You that Your love is for people from all nations and all generations. Please help us share this good news with others, most especially the people around us. Teach us to live in a way that points them to You. In Jesus’ name, amen!