“These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.”
Those of us who struggle with grief know that we will not receive the “things promised” this side of Heaven. The point of this whole book is for all of us to encourage one another to strive to enter into the eternal rest that we have been promised. When we become overcome in sorrow we are tempted to believe that this earth, this awful reality that we are living, is ALL that there is. What we forget is that we are strangers and exiles here, and we have to make it clear to others, but more importantly to ourselves, that we are journeying toward our homeland. We really don’t have the option to travel “...back to the land from which we have gone out.” There is no returning to our previous lives in order to reclaim our loved ones from the grave. Instead, we need to seek a “...better country, that is, a Heavenly one.”
The promises of Heaven are real and true, and we need continual reminders of these promises in order to move forward toward this Celestial City where we will once again be reunited with our loved ones. How wonderful is it that despite all our doubts and unbelief God will not be “...ashamed to be called our God?” Let us greet that great Land “...from afar” and look forward to the life to come.
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