Daily Devotion

“Leaving one's homeland and loved ones is heartbreaking, but when we think of the boundless Kingdom of Heaven as our common and eternal home, the temporary farewell on earth becomes less heavy. As long as we can spread God's love and salvation across this distant and vast land, our lives gain the truest value and eternal rest.”

Nicolas Trigault · History of the Christian Expeditions to China, Volume 5

Scripture

Hebrews 11:13-16 These people died in faith, not having received the promise, but having seen it afar off, and being glad to meet it, and acknowledging that they were strangers and sojourners on earth. Those who say such things show that they seek a country. If they had remembered the country they had left, they would have had the opportunity to return. But they desire a better country, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

Reflection

The courage of missionaries venturing across oceans stems from their unwavering faith in their "heavenly home." We are often weary from worldly gains and losses, from the anxieties of being sojourners, forgetting that we are merely travelers on earth. The toil and temporary separation of the present moment cease to feel so heavy when placed within an eternal frame of reference. Only by grounding our lives in that unshakable kingdom can we, in our present roles, peacefully love and dedicate ourselves, living out eternal values ​​that transcend the temporary.