“My name will be great among the nations, from where the sun rises to where it sets. In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to me, because my name will be great among the nations,” says the Lord Almighty.
Malachi 1:11 NIV
Great Among the Nations
For the first time, in 2021 Canada took the top spot overall in the annual Best Countries Report, a ranking and analysis project by U.S. News & World Report. That year, the report added some new categories to its model, because of the pandemic. Cultural, economic, political and technological influences remained important, and two new categories added: social purpose and agility. Together, this broad range of categories determined how the 78 countries studied are ranked on the world stage.
***
This past December 7, Time Magazine announced their person of the year for 2022. It was no surprise that Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky was chosen – he was everywhere in 2022, bravely leading his nation as they battled the invading Russian troops. It didn’t take him long to go from being an actor on Ukrainian TV to being a hero to his people and respected among the nations of the world. If a human leader can rise to these heights, it shouldn’t surprise us what we read in Malachi 1:11: “My name will be great among the nations, from where the sun rises to where it sets. In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to me, because my name will be great among the nations,’ says the Lord Almighty.” Jehovah God was considered to be the God of the Israelites, but He was far more than that. Because of Jesus’ death and resurrection, men and women from every tribe, tongue and nation now glorify His name, singing praise to Him, every hour of every day, in every time zone of the world. This prophecy has come to pass – the name of Jesus is great among the nations. Praise Him.
These have been words from the heart.
Bob Beasley