Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread.

Our Reading titled, Loving the Nations, was written by Nancy Gavallanis.

As the daughter of two loving and hardworking parents from Central and South America,

I'm grateful they had the courage to be the first in their families to immigrate to the United

States for better opportunities. They met as young adults in New York City, married, had my sister

and me, and went on to run their respective businesses.

As a native New Yorker, I've grown up embracing my Hispanic heritage and have been fascinated

with people of diverse backgrounds. For instance, I once shared my story of faith at an evening

service at a multicultural church that meets

in a former Broadway theater.

Speaking to a multicultural group about God's love is only a glimpse of what heaven

will be like when we see people from different nations come together as the body of Christ. In Revelation, the Apostle John gives us this amazing picture of heaven, saying in Chapter 7,

Before me was a great multitude that no one could count from every nation, tribe, people, and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb.

God, our Savior, will receive the praise and glory and so much more he's worthy of forever and ever.

Now we have just a glimpse of what heaven will be like. But one day, we who believe in

Jesus will be united with Him and with people from different countries, cultures, and languages.

Since God loves the nations, let's also love our global family in Christ.

Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from Revelation

7, verses 9 through 12.

After this, I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could

count, from every nation, tribe, people, and language, standing before the throne and before the lamb.

They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands,

...