Every Tribe

“And they sang a new song, saying: ‘You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation.” Revelation 5:9

I’ve taken part in various small groups in Bible study for many years, and have benefited greatly from each group. I generally belong to a different group each year on purpose, so that I can meet as many other women as possible. Each new group yields a new dynamic to life.

Every member of the group has, over the course of her lifetime, learned something different about God—some facet of His beauty, some aspect of His wonder, some work of His power. Each has experienced God somewhat differently than the others. Each has a different way of expressing His hand on their lives. Each has a different gift, a different call, a different ministry, a different mission.

As we share with one another, we see other attributes of His glory, His personality, His majesty—things that perhaps we haven’t experienced ourselves. We grow in our knowledge and understanding of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We may be able to make peace with some difficult aspect of our past. We may derive comfort from the comforts given to others. We may learn better ways of dealing with differences or relational problems.

“…but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love” (Ephesians 4:15-16).

Perhaps this pattern of sharing our different experiences with the Lord is one reason all the tribes, tongues, peoples, and nations will one day worship God together. This gathering would become the fullest expression of God’s revelation of Himself—His power, His sovereignty, His omniscience, His selfhood, His magnificence, His eternalness, and all the rest—as He has revealed Himself to each tribe, tongue, people, and nation.

God never changes, but what He shows us of Himself surely does. To one, He is healer. To another, He is comforter. To some, He is mystery; to some He is depth, width, height, and breadth. To some, He is the God Who Sees; to others, He is an ever-present help. To some He is Creator; to some, He is Sustainer. And to some, He is all this and so much more.

I don’t want to miss anything there is to know about God. Let’s continually share with one another the marvelous ways God has revealed Himself to us, so we can grow and thus edify the Body of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Lord, may our words about Your life in us bring fruit in each other’s lives. Amen.