May 17, 2023

Hebrews 11: 13 All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. (NIV)

Nowhere in scripture are we promised worldly ease in return for our pledge of faith. In fact, the most devout saints from the Bible usually died penniless, receiving a one-way ticket to prison or death by torture.*

I found an article on the internet about 6 Actors Who Posthumously Won Emmy Awards. How nice for them. Too bad their talents couldn’t have been appreciated while they were alive to enjoy the experience. The people in Hebrews chapter 11 received some posthumous recognition as well. The writer of Hebrews commends them for their faith – unto death – which they demonstrated by their actions. They endured, often at the risk of their lives, with no promise of reward in life. What kept them going? They knew that God was faithful to keep his promises and they knew that their posthumous reward was really an eternal one.

But there’s one more thing – tagged on at the end of this verse – that indicates another element of their ability to endure: the right perspective. They admitted that they were not citizens of the world. They lived their lives on earth with the knowledge that they were travelers who were passing through on their way home. Their visit was a lengthy one and they contributed to society while in the area, but they were always on their way home. If we adopted that attitude, we would reduce our risk of becoming attached to the enticements of the world. Like these faithful heroes, we would be “longing for a better country – a heavenly one.” (Hebrews 11: 16)

We are not living in the world our souls were made for.*