"These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect." (Hebrews 11:39,40-NIV)
The word, "perfect," here means, "complete, accomplish, as a course, a race...I finish." The "end" of our race is that, "....God had something better...," of which so few "run" after. Blinded by, "the cares...of the world and distractions of the age, and... deceitfulness of riches, and the craving...for other things," most pray and, "labor...for the meat which perishes." Those who do will miss, "....God had something better...."
"None of them received what had been promised." Apparently there is something about the promises which we in our limited, time- space thinking do not understand. We tend to consider the promises of the Godhead as things which apply to us personally, the old "me and mine" syndrome, "My God shall supply my need," as though I were the only one in God's Family, and only "God-will-give-me-a-new-car" promises are worth anything.
I am a citizen in the Kingdom of Heaven; I am not the whole Kingdom! We are a part of the Church of Jesus Christ, "cells" in the Body of Christ, united in the Historic Church, the Present Day Church, and the Church in Heaven. The word "Church" became a bad word in the charismatic movement of the last generation. It was a stupid, selfish motive to think that we would reach more people for Jesus Christ if we just got rid of the word, "Church." Who did such people think they were/are?!? The purpose of the appearing of Jesus was, "the Word became flesh and dwelt among us....He who has seen Me has seen the Father....For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost....For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil," and of equal importance, "Upon this rock will I build My Church."
There are promises for you and me which are yet to be fulfilled because there are people yet to be saved, yet to come to Jesus as King and Savior in order that they can, "see...and enter the Kingdom of God." What is that, "something better for us," which our Living Triune God has, "planned"? We may not see "it" now, but could the Habakkuk principle apply here?-- "For the vision is yet for an appointed time...; though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry."
Father, in Jesus' Name, whatever that may be, I do not want to miss Your, "something better." Amen.
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When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"
"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2
