Today’s 333 Devotional: “Welcomed From A Distance”

“All these people died still believing what God had promised them. They did not receive what was promised, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed it. They agreed that they were foreigners and nomads here on earth.” (Hebrews 11:13)

After coming to faith in Jesus Christ, people wonder why their thoughts on how life should play out doesn’t go as planned. What happens is they begin to leave the church, and soon their faith in God, although they won’t admit it.

What has happened is that they have gotten their eyes off the target, off the goal. They expected this life to be like heaven. Instead, as believers in Jesus Christ we need to take a longer view and look forward to heaven and what it will be like.

Maybe to say it like this, the best is yet to come, so embrace and enjoy the process. In Hebrews 12:2 it says that Jesus not only authored our faith, but He is the one to bring it to completion.

Consider when we plan a vacation. We look forward to the vacation, we welcome it from a distance, although we’re still working and living in the present. We do the same thing with retirement. We plan and work towards retirement, looking forward and welcoming it from a distance.

The same should be when we consider heaven. We need to be like Abraham whom the writer of Hebrews was referring to. In Hebrews 11:9-10, it says, “By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.”

Moses esteemed the reproach of Christ of greater riches than Egypt’s treasures, and looked forward to his eventual reward (Hebrews 11:26-27)

Hang in there and do the work of the ministry all while welcoming heaven from a distance.