Daily Devotional For September 2, 2025
And I saw another angel flying in mid-heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who live on the earth, to every nation, tribe, language and people. Rev 14:6.
In this text God shows his caring concern for people from every nation, every family group, every language group and every ethnic type. No matter how much they oppose Him, no matter how perverse their behavior may seem, Jesus died for them (Rev 5:9; 2 Cor 5:14). They are valued in terms of the infinite value of the cross. God shows a breath-taking lack of prejudice. Multi-culturalism is not just a politically correct fad, it is fundamental in God’s attitude toward people in all their infinite variety. God shows no partiality, He cares for all peoples.
I grew up in New York City and figured that gave me a head start on appreciating God’s great variety. The high school I went to was one-third white, one-third black and one-third Hispanic. All of my closest buddies were Hispanic. I once captained an all-black basketball team and didn’t know it until someone made mention of that halfway through the season. I thought that prejudice was a remote problem in my life.
And then I got to college just as the Black Power movement was getting its start. I also witnessed the first Black History Week. Martin Luther King was murdered. I heard all kinds of anger directed toward me that I didn’t think I deserved, given my pristine behavior back in high school. Why are these people so angry, I wondered. This is America. We all have equal rights and equal opportunities.
And then I met Greg. Forcefully, but patiently he introduced me into the world of black Americans. He helped me to see the world through his eyes. He told me what it is like to be looked at with suspicion wherever you go. To be stopped by the police on a regular basis, simply because you are black and driving a nice car. To be ignored in a clothing store while others get lots of help. To face a glass ceiling on the job, positions only open to the “right kind of people.” To be unwanted even in some churches, simply because of skin color and other differences.
I realized that the world wasn’t as simple as the one I thought I knew. I realized that I was not only learning to see through Greg’s eyes, I was learning to see through God’s eyes. It was God who chose to create human beings in all their variety. It is God who dwells inside people of every nation, tribe and language. It is Jesus who died for every one. How they feel and how they live matters to Him.
Lord, open my eyes to the pain in the lives of others. Help me to look past the differences and see a soul for whom Jesus died. Help me to stand courageously against injustice whenever I run into it.