Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Hebrews 11:13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
WITH OUR EYES ON HEAVEN
Hebrews 11! How often don't we find ourselves back at this most wonderful chapter and that which immediately follows it? Over the few years since entering college, I believe I have heard, read, and even written more devotions on these two chapters than on any other chapter in the Bible. Far from being a bad thing, I consider it very indicative of the earnest desire among us to preach, encourage, strengthen, and push forward by the power of the gospel rather than through fear of the law.
Whether it be teaching us the meaning of the word faith (Hebrews 11:1), or the joy that is ours in suffering (Hebrews 12:5ff); whether it is encouraging us to submit to the will of God (Hebrews 11:8), or teaching us the meaning of the Word "Church" (Hebrews 12:22), it does so with the exclamatory joy of the one who knows that we do not stand before the mountain that "burns with fire" but before "Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel."
The verse that really caught my attention this week is the one with which I started this devotion. This verse caught my attention for three reasons. One, because I was told to do this week's devotions on the theme of "heaven." Two, because over the last eleven months I have had very intimate and personal knowledge of what it means to be a stranger, a foreigner, a pilgrim on this earth. And three, because recent events in America certainly warrant a reminder that no nation on this earth is our home.
Let us consider this week then what it means that we are citizens of heaven, and what unbelievable joy is ours when our eyes are fixed on that home to come.
