“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—for he looked for a city which has foundations, whose Builder and Maker is God.”

Hebrews 11:9-10

When the transient and temporal seem to be more than you can stand, keep focused upon Him Who is the “Great I Am” and you’ll experience His “peace that passes all understanding” (Phil. 4:7).

Permanence.

That’s what we’re looking for in life.  Although, as some have said, “Variety is the spice of life,” the fact remains that we all like our “comfort zones” and sense of “sameness” that give us a feeling of security.

Yet, we know that life, like a river, is ever-changing.  Always moving on.

Views and values change.  Friends and neighbors change.  Houses succumb to termites and earthquakes. . .cars succumb to rust and robbers. . .health gives way to disease, disabilities, deformities and death.

But, still, within us there’s that “longing.”

A “longing” that cannot be filled by anything in this world.  And, it was this longing that led Augustine to write, “Our hearts are restless until they find rest in Thee” and C.S. Lewis to write, “If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.”

So true, so true.

When God called Abram out at 75-years-old to “go without knowing where he was going” (Gen. 12:4; Heb. 11:8), He was calling him to “a land of promise;” yet, He was also calling him to a life of faith.  And, even after arriving there, it still seemed like a “strange (Grk. ‘allotrios’—‘someone else’s, foreign, not one’s own, alien, etc.’) country”—primarily because it wasn’t “home.”  No wonder they “confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth” (Heb. 11:13b).

Why was that?  Simply because they weren’t “home” yet.

And, besides all of that, they were also living in “temporary housing”. . .tents with flimsy walls. . .a door that flapped in the wind. . .dust that blew in from underneath. . .hot in the summer and cold in the winter.  No wonder they were “looking for a city which had foundations.”  We would have, too.

Even if we have houses here that are well-constructed, beautifully decorated and painted, etc., we still realize they’re temporary at best—even if they’re still around when we’re not.  Much better is our “looking for that City whose Builder and Maker is God.”  Jesus is the Architect, Foundation and Builder.  Even now He’s “preparing us a Place” (Jn. 14:1-3) that’s far more wonderful than anything we can imagine (I Cor. 2:9).  So, do not fear or lose hope, Pilgrim, when your “earthly house” (body) begins creaking and cracking, settling on its foundation, etc.  One day our Lord will say “Welcome Home. Come on in.”  And, how wonderful it’ll be.

By Tom Smith Morning Manna Dated March 25, 2011

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