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March 2016 - Something Better? – Devotion by Dorothy Callies
Hebrews
11:39-40 NKJV: “All these (the whole Chapter 11), having obtained a good
testimony through faith, did not receive the promise. God having provided
something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us.”
NLT:
“All of these people we have mentioned (the whole Chapter 11) received God’s
approval because of their faith, yet none of them received all that God had
promised. 40) For God had far better things in mind for us that would also
benefit them, for they can’t receive the prize at the end of the race until we
finish the race.* [Footnote:
11:40 Greek: for us, for they apart from
us can’t finish].
It
was difficult to understand exactly what the verse really meant so I read the
commentary from The Full Life Study Bible
that might be helpful. [KJV: They without
us: All the saints of the Old Testament died without receiving the full
blessings and promises of God. But the death and resurrection of Christ, He
procured (gain) perfect salvation for them, and they will receive their full
inheritance with us in the new heaven and earth (Rev. 21-22)].
Dorothy:
What start this? I was pondering why we didn’t always get all the promises
until I read this devotion that Dave Branon, Our Daily Bread had written,
“Something Better.” Dave Branon wrote: “Abel
doesn’t seem to fit in the first half of the Hebrews 11. He’s the first
“ancient” listed, but this story isn’t like the others mentioned there.
Enoch went to heaven without
dying. Noah save mankind. Isaac was a noted patriarch (highly
respected). Joseph rose to the top in Egypt.
Moses led the greatest exodus
ever. Clearly, their faith was
rewarded. By faith, they did what God
asked, and He poured out blessings on them.
They saw God’s promises fulfilled before their eyes.
But
Abel? The second son of the Adam and
Eve had faith, and what did he get for it? Murdered. That sounds more like the
folks in verses 35-38, who found that trusting God doesn’t always lead to
immediate blessing.
They
faced “mocking,” “imprisonment,” and being “sawn in two.” We might say,
“Thanks, but no thanks.” We would prefer to be heroic Abraham instead of
someone “destitute (lack needs), afflicted (suffering), tormented (great pain)”
(v.37). Yet in God’s plan, there are no
guarantees of ease and fame even for the devout.
While
we might experience some blessings in this life, we may also have to wait until
“something better” (v.40) comes along—the completion of God’s promises in
Glory. Until then, let’s keep living “by faith.” –Dave Branon from Our Daily
Bread.
Song: Keep on Believing
Keep on believing, God
will answer prayer;
Keep on believing, never
despair;
Tho’ you be heavy laden
and
Burdened down with care,
Remember God still loves
you
And He answers prayer.
(Inspiring Choruses)
Dorothy: How do I feel about all
this? I was kind of surprise how God read my heart when I was pondering why we
didn’t always get our blessings immediately. When I read his name, Abel being
murdered, this hit me because I knew the story … I just never thought the way
Dave Branon wrote this devotion. Abel had faith and he was doing the right
thing, yet his very own brother, Cain became jealous and killed him.
When
the Scripture said, “sawn in two,” it was Isaiah. According to Hebrew
tradition, Isaiah was martyred by being sawn in two (Heb.11:37) by Hezekiah’s
wicked son and successor to the throne, King Manasseh (680 B.C.). The New Testament were
often quoted from the book of Isaiah. We find many of Isaiah’s prophecies fulfilled
and one of them was about the Messiah’s suffering in Isaiah 53. Famous verse we
often quoted, “with His stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5).
I
want to quote this commentary: “Isaiah’s rich vocabulary surpasses that of all
other Old Testament writers. Isaiah is called “the evangelical prophet,” because,
of all the O.T. books, his Messianic prophecies contain the fullest and
clearest declaration of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Isaiah’s vision of the cross in chapter 53 is
the most specific and detailed in the whole Bible about Jesus’ atoning death
for sinners.”
Impressive? With Isaiah’s writing about Messiah? Yet King Manasseh killed Isaiah. My point
is that … Isaiah put his faith in the living God knowing that God has
“something better” for him. Isaiah did not wavered. He stood strong in faith.
This
devotion inspired me to realize God is telling me to “keep on believing, God
will answer prayer. Keep on believing, don’t get despair. Even though you be
heavy laden and burdened down with care. Just remember that God still loves you
and He will answers your prayer.”
Let
us continue to put our faith in the living God who still cares for us! God bless you and enriched you with this
understanding of “Something Better.”
Dorothy
Song: Keep on Believing
Keep on believing, God
will answer prayer;
Keep on believing, never
despair;
Tho’ you be heavy laden
and
Burdened down with care,
Remember God still loves
you
And He answers prayer.
(Inspiring Choruses)
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