Made The Promise

By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who had made the promise. And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.

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 11:8-16

Have you “Made The Promise.” Have you accepted Jesus as your own Savior?

As Christians, our true home is heaven. Yet sometimes our desires tether us to the here and now. We enjoy God’s good gifts – marriage, children, grandchildren, travel, careers, and friends. At the same time the Bible challenges us to focus on “things above.”

Believers always desire the heavenly inheritance; and the stronger our faith is, the more fervent our desire. Several Old Testament believers mentioned their strong faith in God that enabled them to embrace His promises. One such promise is heaven. If we too put our faith in God, He will give us a desire for the heavenly country. That will also loosen our grip on this world.

For the Christian, heaven is spelled H-O-M-E.

Our Daily Bread – May 24, 2013