"Living By Faith"

“Living By Faith”

 

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, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth.  People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own.  If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return.  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 11:13-16

 

“All these people,” refers to ALL the Old Testament saints, and ALL their families who were LIVING BY FAITH.  None of them had received the things promised.  But they remained steadfast in their FAITH.  Seeing and welcoming those promises from a distance, they felt like foreigners and strangers here, on earth.  They were searching for a country of which they could call their OWN.  However, it was NOT the country from which they came.  If it had been that country, they would have had the opportunity to return.  But they were looking for a BETTER country—a heavenly one.  Because of their STRONG FAITH to reach that country, God is NOT ashamed to be called their GOD, for He has prepared a city for them.

 

We too, who are a part of God’s family, are “LIVING BY FAITH,” we are waiting for the promise, of a Heavenly home, to be fulfilled.  An eternal home, that we can call our own.  More and more I am feeling like a stranger on this earth.  I long for the day when I can feel like I belong to a land that is NOT contradictory to my FAITH.  A land in which I TRULY belong.  Living here on this earth is detrimental to our FAITH.   We must be STEADFAST in our FAITH, and the only way I know we can do that is to have a CLOSE, INTIMATE, and PERSISTENT relationship with our Heavenly Father. 

 

The Old Testament saints were STEADFAST in their FAITH, and believed that God is, Himself, FAITHFUL to bring His promises to completion, and that PLEASED God to the point that He is not ashamed to be called their God, and has prepared a city for them. 

 

He has done the same for ALL of His children, we are NOT destined to have to spend our eternity here on earth, but God has prepared a place for us too.  But we must be FAITHFUL and not let Satan deter us from our work while we are still here on earth.  We need to be about our Father’s business, that of being a witness of HIS faithfulness to us and bringing His SALVATION to a lost and dying world. 

If you have not given your HEART and LIFE to God then you are not His child nor a member of His family and that Heavenly home is not in your future, but you are headed for a place that is a lot worse than this wretched, old, sinful world, a place called Hell, a place of torture, pain, misery and torment.  However, you NOW have the opportunity to change your destination to a Heavenly home, by:  CONFESSING your sins to God, and asking Him for His FORGIVENESS, BELIEVING, with ALL your HEART that Jesus died for you and is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God, then ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION, and become a part of His family, one of His children, and be able to say:  “This world is not my home, I’m just passing through,”  and start LIVING BY FAITH!  Do it NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting, and coming SOON!!!