Unashamed!

“If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return.  Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.”  - Hebrews11:15-16

Dear Lord,

Teach us to long for You.  Teach us to long for the day of Your return.  Teach us to long for Your kingdom to come.  Teach us to long for this more than we long for this world.  Lord teach us to live in such a way that you will be honored and unashamed to be called our God.

Amen

Quick note:  If we truly long for His return and for His kingdom to come to earth, if we truly long for that more than we long for this world our choices will be the same as those mentioned in these verses.  “If they have been thinking of the country they left, they would have had the opportunity to return.  Instead, they were longing for a better country- a heavenly one.”  It is not enough to say we are longing for a “heavenly one” if all we do is sit back and pray for Jesus’ return.  If we really long for His kingdom to come we must take the words of Matthew 24:14 (“And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”) to heart, and go.  Just like the verse says, “if they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had an opportunity to return.”  In order for the “better country,” the “heavenly one,” to come we must first be willing to go.  We cannot say we long for the day of Christ’s return if we are not actively apart of His mission to save the world.