Week 42
Hebrews 11:13 “All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.”
One of the problems of our modern technologically advanced age is the problem of immediate gratification; we expect it, and we demand it!
But one of the common elements of faith (indeed, we may even call it a necessary aspect of faith) is hope-filled patience. Faith, once it takes root in the heart, being grounded in God’s promise in the gospel in Christ, gives birth to hope, which by definition requires both certainty and patience.
The writer of the Book of Hebrews describes faith as that which inspired and passionately drove the Old Testament remnant saints to look beyond the present time and space continuum to the promise of God in heaven, where God was preparing an eternal city for them. As a result, these Old Testament believers felt like strangers and exiles in this world saturated with rebellion against God. But these believers so long ago found their souls nurtured and nourished by God’s certain and unfailing promise in the coming Messiah. Even if the Messiah came after these folks died, they still held tenaciously and faithfully to God’s promise, believing that if that were the case, they would still, in God’s good time and in God’s good way receive more than they could have ever imagined when the promise would come true. They chose to trust God in faith!
Sweet Christian friend, God’s promises to you in Christ are enough to face today, tomorrow, and the future. God is no man’s debtor, and He will amply and gloriously fulfill every precious promise in the Lord Jesus to those who come in faith believing in Him. Is that enough for you? Can you not see that the infinite and glorious God who saved you, the God who is greater than the universe, cannot fail to do marvelously more than you could ever ask or think (See Ephesians 3:20)? Do you understand that if God requires that we live by faith in this life without receiving the full extent of His promises, that this is best for you? Let us grasp that one day, one glorious eternal day in heaven, we will see and experience the greatest blessings of all, and we will say with joy, “God was faithful, and I praise Him with all my heart!”
Prayer: O wonderful God and Father, my heart is filled with gratitude to You, who fulfills Your promises to us in Christ in the best way possible. I know I can trust You, even on this painful day of life. So, I choose to turn away from fear, sorrow, and sadness to invest my heart’s joy in You and Your promise in Christ. I trust You, and I love you! Amen.