“Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.”
Hebrews 11:16
Something I’ve noticed as I get older is that we never fully arrive. Your goal might be to graduate from high school, but then another level awaits you: perhaps trade school or college. Then there are families, careers, promotions, setbacks, achievements, and new challenges. We often strive to complete one phase of life, only to find that our longing for more remains.
I imagine that the Promised Land was like that for Abraham and his descendants. God had sworn to give them this land, and yet it was never meant to be their ultimate rest. Even then, God had already prepared for them a “better country, a heavenly one.”
The Israelites conquered the land. They set up a kingdom, built a temple, and established themselves as a nation. They grew and flourished. But the eyes of God’s people weren’t fixed on a piece of land. They longed for something greater, their heavenly home. Today let’s make sure our hearts are not so fixated on the here and now that we forget the heavenly home God has prepared for us.
I imagine that the Promised Land was like that for Abraham and his descendants. God had sworn to give them this land, and yet it was never meant to be their ultimate rest. Even then, God had already prepared for them a “better country, a heavenly one.”
The Israelites conquered the land. They set up a kingdom, built a temple, and established themselves as a nation. They grew and flourished. But the eyes of God’s people weren’t fixed on a piece of land. They longed for something greater, their heavenly home. Today let’s make sure our hearts are not so fixated on the here and now that we forget the heavenly home God has prepared for us.
Scripture Focus
Hebrews 11:13-40
Insight
God, help me to live well in the present while being continually mindful of my heavenly home. Amen
Bible In A Year
- Job 17-18
- Psalm 51
- Luke 14