Today's post was written by Grace Stokes. Grace is a a 26 year-old adopted child of the one true God, a small group leader, a CPA, a daughter, and a sister.

“Let the peoples praise you, Oh God; let all the peoples praise you! Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth.” -Psalm 67:3-4

Earlier this year, I was on a team that traveled to Northeast India, and I experienced in new ways the power of God's Spirit and His heart for the nations.

It starts with God. There is one true God, and we are created to live in joyful obedience to Him by trusting in Jesus. In India, there are millions of people who have never heard of this God, and as we spent time in their houses drinking tea, the privilege and responsibility to communicate His character was both exhilarating and overwhelming. As I would sit and listen to my sisters in Christ share the gospel with the local women, I was overcome with our dependence on the Holy Spirit to open eyes to the truth. As my turn would come to tell these women about God’s character and salvation, I was moved by His love for them. It’s no small thing to look at a woman, after travelling for roughly 40 hours, and say “God has saved me and has sent me here to tell you that He loves you and has made a way for you to be in a right relationship with Him, through Jesus Christ.” It was heartbreaking to get to know these women, hear their stories and their struggles, then watch them politely dismiss the relationship they were made for and the satisfaction they were seeking. But God was gracious to our team, and during our trip, He brought two local men from death to life! He is truly the God of the nations, and He is building His church from every tribe… even those that we don’t know exist until we hike up a mountain footpath.

“After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’” -Revelation 7:9-10

When I read this verse, I instantly think of India. I rejoice over the believers who are there, and I plead with God to save the women we got to know during our trip. Be encouraged, as I am, of the work that God is doing in India, and look forward to the day that we will be around the throne with our brothers and sisters from every nation.