Psalm 145:10-13a - All Your works shall give thanks to You, O LORD, and all Your saints shall bless You! They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom and tell of Your power, to make known to the children of man Your mighty deeds, and the glorious splendor of Your kingdom. Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and Your dominion endures throughout all generations.

After Jesus rose from the dead, He said to His disciples, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me" (Matthew 28:18b). He commanded them to make disciples of all nations, to baptize and teach. They would be His witnesses and proclaim the Good News of salvation through faith in His Name. They would tell others of the glory of His kingdom, His power, and mighty deeds, of His suffering, death, and His victorious resurrection. Now we too have that same task, to make known the mighty deeds of God and to speak of the glorious splendor of His kingdom.

We might first describe God's power and glory as our Creator and point out the beauty and majesty of creation, which so often speaks for itself: "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims His handiwork" (Psalm 19:1). We will tell the story of human rebellion against the Creator and the wonderful story of God's love for His creation. Like the first disciples, we will bear witness to Jesus, who suffered, died, and rose from death, so that through faith in Him we are brought into His kingdom. We certainly want to make known the glorious splendor of the Kingdom yet to come, the Kingdom that we will see when our Savior returns. By God's grace, through faith in Jesus, all who trust in Him for salvation will inherit the Kingdom prepared for us "from the foundation of the world" (Matthew 25:34b). We cannot begin to imagine the wonders of that Kingdom, of the "new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells" (2 Peter 3:13b).

We will tell others of the glorious Kingdom in which we now live. It is the kingdom of God's Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. The splendor of the Kingdom is often hidden beneath ordinary things, like the bread and wine of the Lord's Supper, in which we receive Jesus' body and blood, given and shed for the forgiveness of our sins. We know the ordinary yet splendid water of Baptism, the washing of water and the Word of God through which we are born again. We bless the Lord for clothing us in the bright glory of His righteousness. We will speak of the peace that only Jesus can give and of His promise to be with us always. Above all, we will tell others of that living hope that is ours, the promise of eternal life when, with all the saints, we will see with our own eyes the glorious splendor of the kingdom of God.

WE PRAY: Lord, help me to tell others about Your mighty deeds and the glorious splendor of Your kingdom. Amen.

This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Carol Geisler.

Reflection Questions:

1. Are there hints of God's eternal kingdom on earth?

2. What do think it means that "righteousness dwells" in God's kingdom?

3. How is God's splendor hidden in things like Communion or Baptism?

Today's Bible Readings: Psalms 106, 111-112    1 Thessalonians 2

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