#DailyDevotion This Is Not Our Country Or Our World
Heb. 11 13All these died in faith without having received what was promised. But they saw it far ahead and welcomed it, and they confessed they were strangers and travelers on earth. 14Those who talk that way show they’re looking for a country of their own. 15If their hearts had been in the country they left, they could have found an opportunity to go back. 16Instead, they were longing for a better country – I mean heaven. That is why God is not ashamed to be called their God, because He has prepared a city for them.
So remember the author’s definition of faith, “is being sure of the things we hope for, being convinced of the things we can’t see.” Having gone through a list of saints who live by faith in the promises of God, we see they died in faith, not having received what was promised. Abraham and Sarah did have a son, but that was it. They saw what was promised with the eyes of faith. The fulfillment would be far ahead.
These patriarchs of our faith welcomed these promises because they knew the One who promised was faithful. Not only were they strangers and pilgrims in the land of Canaan. They were the same on this planet. They were looking for a country of their own, one promised by the LORD.
We are their descendants by faith cf. Romans 9. As such, we too trust in the promises of God our Savior, the LORD Jesus Christ. In John 14 Jesus says, ““Don’t be troubled. Believe in God, and believe in Me. 2In My Father’s house there are many rooms. If it were not so, I would have told you, because I go to prepare a place for you. 3And when I have gone and prepared a place for you, I’ll come again and take you home with Me so you’ll be where I am.” In 1 Peter 2 he writes, “I urge you, as guests and strangers in this world…” Paul reminds us in Eph. 2, “19Then you are no longer foreigners or strangers but fellow citizens with the holy people and members of His household.” It is written in 2 Peter 2, “according to His promise we expect new heavens and a new earth where righteousness lives.” If these things are true, we should live like our patriarch in this present age, this present world. We should have strong attachments to anyone or anything in this present world except our fellow Christians with whom we will be spending all eternity. This is why Jesus can tell us in the Sermon on the Mount, “39But I tell you, don’t oppose an evil man. If anyone slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other cheek to him. 40If anyone wants to sue you for your shirt, let him have your coat, too. 41If anyone makes you go one mile, go two miles with him. 421f anyone asks you for anything, give it to him, and when anyone wants to borrow from you, don’t turn away.” These things don’t matter much in God’s Kingdom which is the heaven in verse 16.
God was not ashamed to call them His people. They trusted in Him. He is not ashamed to call you His people because you share the same faith as them. Jesus has promised to prepare a place for us, a city, the New Jerusalem. We must persist in this faith if we want to receive what He has promised us. So that we may persist in this faith, Jesus has given us the means of grace: baptism, absolution, the Supper, the Word, and forgiveness from the Church. If we cease to make use of the gifts He has given us to preserve us in this faith, then we are despising Him and our faith is no faith at all. These gifts He has given us are to strengthen and preserve in the true faith until His revelation to all the world. Then we shall receive what He has promised us, eternal life with Him, the Father and the Spirit.
Merciful God and Father, ever give us Your gifts so we may persevere in the faith, live in it, and receive what You have promised. In Jesus’ name. Amen.