Day 338, Year 1

We Are Only Living As Strangers on the Earth

“All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own.” (Hebrews 11:13-14 NASB)

Abraham and his wife, having given birth to Isaac, actualized God’s promise that their descendants would be “as many as the stars of the sky in multitude– innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore.” (12 NKJV) However, for those who trust in God, the most substantial promise is not on earth, but in heaven. In other words, if you ask Abraham: Is Isaac’s birth or the heavenly home more important? He will surely tell you: Heaven is more important! Why? The death of humans will put an end to all the promises that have been made in this world. Nevertheless, we must be willing to accept whatever God wants to offer us in this world. Thus, we are to seek His promises on earth while looking forward fervently to the “better country” (16).

Believers look at our lives as exiles or strangers and do not consider our homeland to be in this world. From this point of view, we can endure some innocuous problems, including what we deprive ourselves of to enjoy, how many unpleasant things we have, etc., but we can pray to God for all of these. If He does not comment, these questions can be ignored or set aside. We see this earthly life as short. And we need to build strong resilience in ourselves, have the determination to make a comeback after every storm, and enhance our flexibility to adapt to any change. These traits are vital for us because if we only care about making money and enjoying ourselves now, and when we have no wealth or enjoyment, we will be desolate and really despair.

Believers can despise all the vainglory and shame, all the merits and demerits according to this world, or even the failure to fulfill our own wishes or dreams, etc. None of these is significant. If the Lord has mercy on us, we can look to heaven and how we can enter it as we ponder on scriptures such as the Book of Revelation. Furthermore, if a believer is called by God to do a lonely ministry, he or she can get through it with faith in Him. Faith in God is indeed very personal. We can still hold fast to God’s calling in the face of loneliness and pain, press on to fulfill the mission entrusted by Him, and hold onto His promises. Therefore, it is best for us to learn how to continue strengthening our faith in Him even in the midst of suffering and loneliness.

Reflection questions:

1) Do you regard your life on earth as a stranger or an exile? Why?

2) Are your resilience, flexibility, adaptability, etc., strong enough to successfully overcome the challenges on earth? If so, in what one or two traits do you feel you need to rely on the Lord to improve in you the most?