Desiring a better country
What would cause someone to turn down and leave everything they ever known and enjoyed their entire life? People from all sorts of walks and time have left everything that they have had and known for an idea, a thought, or a belief. There are factors that need to be considered when leaving everything behind such as money, friends, family and personal satisfaction. People such as Abraham who after God spoke to him and told him to leave, he left (Ge12:1). Moses, after being nurtured till he was an adult, decided to leave pharaoh’s daughter from parenting and submitted himself to the torment the people of Israel went through (He11:24-26). All of the heroes of the bible who left everything for a better country did it because of the faith they shared. Through the same faith adapters of such performed many jaw opening activities that placed a marker on history. For example, Elijah was taken in a whirl wind, Jericho’s walls were brought down after the Israelites walked around it seven times, Gideon with three hundred men defeated the Syrian million men army, and Samson with is extraordinary strength beat the philistines; just to mention a few who through faith pushed against all odds and left everything they ever knew. Luke tells us that through faith these people quenched fire, escaped the sword, and overthrew kingdoms (He11:34).
Hebrew 12:14-16
14 For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.15 And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.16 But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.
There is something better then what you already have that is worth the change. To start a new requires a confession. Stating that we are not part of this world, that we are merely pilgrims and strangers (He12:13) is a confession of faith. The bible tells us that we are not part of this world (Jh17:16, 15:19). Our citizenship is from above (Ph3:20) and therefore our desires should be on the things from above and not here. Just like our bible heroes who through their confession left all we too. There is a city of gold that Revelations speaks of which the saints will one day walk through (Rev21:18), and that is the city of which we need to be willing to leave everything for.
Genesis 12:1
The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.
Hebrews 11:24-26
24 By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. 25 He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. 26 He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.
Hebrews 11:34
34 quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies.
Hebrews 12:13
“Make level paths for your feet,”a] so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.