What Can Keep a Missionary Going?

Article by

Founder & Teacher, desiringGod.org

The answer is hope. The confidence that the labor is not in vain. The durable feeling that 10,000,000 years of life is longer than 70 years, and that “the sufferings of this life are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” And the deep assurance that the cause of Christ will triumph in the world.

Here are some of the stupendous promises to sustain us in a work that may be long and may be hard, but will triumph in the end, and is worth every cent and prayer and letter and calorie and dream you can put into it.

Genesis 12:3
In thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

Psalm 2:8
I shall give thee the nations for thine inheritance.

Psalm 22:27
All the ends of the world shall remember
and turn unto the Lord:
and all the families of the nations
shall worship before thee.

Psalm 65:2
O thou that hearest prayer,
unto thee shall all flesh come.

Psalm 66:4
All the earth shall worship thee,
and shall sing unto thee;
they shall sing to thy name.

Psalm 86:9
All nations whom thou hast made
shall come and worship before thee, O Lord;
and shall glorify thy name.

Psalm 102:15
So the heathen shall fear the name of the Lord,
and all the kings of the earth thy glory.

Isaiah 24:15-16
In the east give glory to the Lord;
in the coastlands of the sea,
to the name of the Lord, the God of Israel.
From the ends of the earth we hear songs of praise,
of glory to the Righteous One.

Habakkuk 2:14
For the earth will be filled
with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord,
as the waters cover the sea.

Matthew 16:18
I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Matthew 24:14
And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, as a testimony to all nations; and then the end will come.

Pastor John