Strangers on the Earth
All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. Hebrews 11:13 NIV
Whenever I drive a car in a foreign country, I am quickly reminded that I am a "stranger". Om which side of the road do I drive? What do those road signs mean? Did the "red-yellow-green" sequence work little differently? Maybe it is best that I let others drive me when I am not in my own country. I am safer when I remember I am a stranger in the land.
Sadly, there are times I forget that I am a stranger on earth. My home is with Jesus, yet sometimes I seek to become a little too comfortable in this foreign land called earth. When that happens:
- The contrasts between earthly and eternal values become foggy.
- The differences between a cultural and a biblical view start to blend.
How I view life shapes my perspectives; my perspectives shape my priorities, and my priorities shape what I do. Forgive me, Father, for forgetting I am a stranger here. But I am not a stranger in my family of faith.
Let us join together as exiles in the land to live and work together as we journey toward heaven.
Sharing the journey with you,