This World is Not My Home!

Wow! a second post in the same day! Can't help it. There's too much good stuff in Hebrews 11!

Verse 8 - By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. 
9 - By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:
10 - For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. 
13 - These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
14 - For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.
15 - And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. 
16 - But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city. 

This passage of scripture shows clearly that living a life for God on this earth looking to the future of a heavenly home and rewards there is worth it even if we receive no benefit on this earth. Verse 13 says that they all died (all the OT people mentioned earlier in the chapter) not actually receiving the promise God made but holding to those promises and obeying no matter what. They kept their minds and hearts focused on the coming heavenly home they would have instead of focusing on the immediate moment of life. Verse 15 tells us that if they would have stayed focused on their past home and the hardships they were currently facing, they might have turned back instead of remaining obedient to God and clinging to His promises. 

Some people often question my life's choices to try to please God and serve Him but this passage reminds me not to be earthly minded but heavenly minded, not to focus on temporal but eternal. The end of verse 13 says that those people had confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on earth and then verse 14 says that those who say such things declare to everyone around them plainly that they seek a country different from this that they know is coming. This life is just a vapor, a drop in the bucket and we need to remember that whatever we are dealing with good or bad will come to pass. We are commanded in other Bible verses to lay up treasures in heaven and not on earth. Life here is so temporary! That doesn't mean that God will not provide blessings while we are here on earth for us to enjoy but we are not to be so focused on them that we forget about those coming blessings and rewards in heaven. 

This world is not my home, I'm just a passing through. My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue. The angels beckon me from heaven's open door and I can't feel at home in this world anymore! Some days I'm so saddened and grieved by the events of this world that I truly long for that future coming country! A country where Jesus is King, and every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus is Lord. I'm on the winning side! Praise the Lord, I'm on the winning side.