When the Whole World Sings

Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread. The devotional for today titled When the Whole World Sings was written by Mark DeHaan. A commercial jingle of the 1970s inspired a generation. Created as part of Coca-Cola's The Real Thing ad campaign, a British group called The New Seekers eventually sang it as a full-length song that climbed to the top of the music charts around the world.

But many will never forget the original television version sung by young people on a hilltop outside of Rome. Whimsical as it was with visions of honeybees and fruit trees, we resonated with a songwriter's desire to teach the world to sing with the heart and harmony of love. The Apostle John describes something like that idealized dream, only vastly greater, in Revelation 5. He envisioned a song sung by every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea and all that is in them.

There's nothing whimsical about this anthem. Nothing could be more realistic than the price paid by the one to whom this song is sung. Neither could there be anything more foreboding than the visions of war, death, and consequence that his sacrifice of love would have to overcome. Yet this is what it took for the Lamb of God to bear our sin and defeat death, overcome our fear of death, and teach all heaven and earth to sing in perfect harmony. Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading comes from the last book in the Bible, Revelation, chapter 5, verses 8 through 14. And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp, and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God's people. And they sang a new song, saying, You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth. Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands and ten thousand times ten thousand.

They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. In a loud voice they were saying, Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise. Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea and all that is in them, saying, To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb, be praise and honor and glory and power forever and ever.

The four living creatures said, Amen, and the elders fell down and worshiped. Let's pray. Father in heaven, please help us to sense the wonder of what you've done to give us a song that can be sung in joy by everyone and every living creature. Thank you, Lord Jesus. It's in your name that we pray and worship. Amen. Thanks so much for listening today. My name is Wes Ward, and today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread Ministries.