This post was last updated on February 7, 2026

Day 339, Year 1

No More Thinking about the Hometown on Earth

“And indeed if they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return. But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.” (Hebrews 11:15-16 NASB)

The meaning of the above verses is that Abraham and his wife did not miss their homeland, but they missed the heavenly home that God had promised. The Greek word for “think” in verse 15 is mnemoneuo, which means “recall, remember, or mention,” and also means “to act due to a thought.” Even after Abraham’s father died, there was no record in the Bible about his returning to mourn him. In fact, he could easily return to his homeland. When people grow up in their homeland and leave, they naturally miss many things about it. But believers envy a beautiful hometown and do not cherish the earthly ones.

Today’s verse facilitates the detachment of believers from earthly people and things so that we would no longer be nostalgic after conversion. If we want to look back on the past, we can remember the suffering endured on earth. For when we consider how we have been hurt, how our hearts and minds have been distorted, or how our afflictions have caused us to stumble, it can make us yearn for God’s new creation and the new spiritual family. Meanwhile, we can ask God to heal and set us free, in better preparing us to enter the future heavenly home.

People can follow what they miss and seek to revitalize the good things of the past. However, this nostalgic mentality makes it difficult for them to advance and progress in faith. Nostalgia is one of the main reasons why many people find it difficult to trust in Jesus. Thus, it is not something that believers should do. Instead, we can pray that God will give us new grace, love, wisdom, and power every day so that we can joyfully embrace new life in His guidance. He is willing to do new things and to see us follow Him on various adventures. Taking risks often goes well with faith in Jesus, because looking forward to the heavenly home is in the future tense, not the past tense.

In fact, the believer’s homeland is not on earth but in heaven, as the Bible mentions from beginning to end, for human spirits are from God the Father in heaven. For those who think like this, God is not ashamed of any one of us. The Bible tells us that His home is better for those who believe in and love Him. There is a hymn called “This World is Not My Home,” which indicates that we can always look to God and save our treasures in heaven so that we can prepare ourselves for the beautiful heavenly home.

Reflection questions:

1) Are you a person who is always nostalgic, or are you a person who looks forward to the future? If you are a former one, how can you change yourself by the Lord’s help?

2) Do you think this world is your home? Or is your heavenly home your real home to think of? Why?