MAY 24, 2013
Heavenly
Country
Read: Hebrews 11:8-16
Our citizenship is in heaven. —Philippians 3:20
During
high school, my closest friend and I took a pair of horses out for an
afternoon
ride. We slowly roamed through fields of wildflowers and wooded
groves. But
when we nosed the horses in the direction of the barn, they took
off toward
home like twin rockets. Our equine friends knew that it was time
for dinner and
a good brushing, and they could hardly wait.
As
Christians, our true home is heaven (Phil. 3:20). Yet sometimes our desires
tether us to the here and now. We enjoy God’s good gifts—marriage, children,
grandchildren, travel, careers, friends. At the same time, the Bible challenges
us to focus on “things above” (Col. 3:1-2). Things above may include the unseen
benefits of heaven: God’s enduring presence (Rev. 22:3-5), unending rest
(Heb.
4:9), and an everlasting inheritance (1 Peter 1:4).
Recently
I read, “Believers desire the heavenly inheritance; and the stronger
the faith
is, the more fervent [the desire].” Several Old Testament believers
mentioned
in Hebrews 11 had strong faith in God that enabled them to embrace
His promises
before receiving them (v.13). One such promise was heaven. If
we too put our
faith in God, He will give us a desire for that “heavenly country”
(v.16) and
will loosen our grip on this world.
When we all get to heaven,
What a day of rejoicing that will be!
When we all see Jesus,
We’ll sing and shout the victory. —Hewitt
For the Christian, heaven is spelled H-O-M-E.
Source: Our Daily Bread 2013
