God's Desire for All Peoples

 Adam slept with his wife, Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son, Cain. Later, she conceived a second time and gave birth to Cain's brother Abel. (Read Genesis 4-9.)

Thus, began man to multiply upon the earth, just as God said. But, mankind knowing good and evil (Genesis 3), wickedness, terror, and immorality also increased in the earth.

Through the years God saw just how great man's wickedness had become, that every inclination of man's heart was only evil all the time. Mankind thought they could do better without God and made themselves their own gods. This seriously grieved the heart of the true God, the one who perfectly spoke everything into being. (See Genesis 1-2.)

So God decided to wipe man off the face of the whole earth. Yet, there was one -- Noah -- who found favor in the eyes of the LORD (Genesis 6:8).

Noah obeyed God in that which was entrusted to him. He built the Ark -- a large boat -- to save 

himself, his family, and the animals too -- two of every kind -- from the coming flood, the coming doom.

And the rain came, to the surprise of the unbelieving.And it continued for some 40 days.
The flood covered the entire earth 150 days than receded. 

Afterward, God remembered Noah, his family, and all the animals. He brought them out of the Ark, it has rested on Mount Ararat in modern-day Eastern Turkey.

Setting a rainbow in the sky, God promised that He would never again destroy life with a flood.

God commanded Noah to "be fruitful and multiply (increase) in number" (Genesis 9:1) to once again fill the earth with more just like him -- more in God's own image. 

Yet, every inclination of man's heart was still only evil all the time; the evil one continuing deceptively to nurture man's evil nature with pride, immoral conduct, greed, and every evil intent. (See Luke 17:26; cf. 1 Peter 3:19-21.)

But God never gave up on His human creatures. He continued His plan to prevail -- that His kingdom might reign throughout the earth.

To one named Abraham, God promised, "... All peoples on earth will be blessed through you." And at the perfect time, God brought His Son to humanity, the Son of God and born of the seed of Abraham -- the blessing for all peoples. (See Genesis 12:1-5; Galatians 4:4.)



In the New Testament, we see Him. Jesus is His name (the "Immanuel," as mentioned in the Bible at Isaiah 7:14, which means "God with us," Matthew 1:23). He came into the world to restore fallen humanity to the Heavenly Father.

As Abraham was called, and Jesus called His 12 disciples, so God continues to call people today, to leave their "comfort zone", go as He directs, and go where they may not know, seeking first God's kingdom among all peoples of the world. (See Matthew 6:33.)

Robert Morrison was one who sought God's Kingdom, to reign among the Chinese people. Born in England in 1782, Morrison is remembered as the pioneering translator of the Chinese Bible.

If, as a child, he was asked, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" Morrison would have probably answered with great enthusiasm, "A missionary!" That was his lifelong dream, and his prayer to God was that he would be sent to "that part of the world where the difficulties are the greatest."

His dream was realized and his prayer answered. For 25 years Morrison persevered in China. Through hardship, depression, and ill health, he labored tirelessly at his assigned task. During those years, however, he saw fewer than a dozen Chinese converted to Christianity.

Nevertheless, the foundation was laid for future missionary work in China. Others soon followed, seeking first God's desire for His Kingdom to reign among the Chinese. Without Robert Morrison's faithfulness, the work of Hudson Taylor founder of the China Inland Mission (now OMF International), as well as that of Gladys Aylward, and Jonathan Goforth might not have taken place.

Today, multitudes worldwide wait to hear God's Good News for all peoples. And God waits to hear other "Robert Morrisons" answer just as enthusiastically, "I want to be a missionary!"


Coming next month Purposes, Plans, and Pursuits

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