Read
2 Corinthians 4:13 – 15 (NIV)
It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.” Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak,  because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself.  All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.

Reflect
What motivates people to become missionaries? I have heard some say that it was adventure. Others spoke of passion to serve from a young age. Some even want to return to where they were raised (on the mission field) because that was the life they understood. But any discussion with missionaries that served the Lord in missions ultimately end up where Paul did in our text today: Missions are for the Glory of God.

Glory is sometimes a difficult word to grasp. It speaks of God’s splendor, the qualities of his greatness, relating to who God is and how he deals with us.

God’s glory is seen first in creation. The world God made bears his stamp of power, order, and beauty. As I had opportunity to travel to many different places in the world, his creation was always on display. Sunrises and sunsets loudly proclaim that God is creator, and his beauty is so great it cannot be contained.

But we see God’s glory most clearly in the person and work of his Son, Jesus Christ, who is “the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being” (Hebrews 1:3). In Jesus’ life we clearly see a part of God’s glory that was mostly hidden before – God’s grace, love, and forgiveness. This glory shines forth each time a sinner turns and experiences anew God’s grace in Christ. And as it did for Paul, this glory can motivate us into missions wherever we are – both globally and locally.

Pray
Dear Father, help us to see your glory. Help us to point others to your Son, Jesus, so that they too will shine with your glory. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.