"By faith Abraham . . . went out . . . For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God." Hebrews 11:8,10
Abram and Sarah were emigrants who left their native homeland to find a new home in a strange unknown land. They had never seen it, but had heard about it.
There must be something appealing and romantic about immigration. Man has ever been eager to pioneer in new fields, to explore the unknown "beyond." The urge to emigrate springs from dissatisfaction with present conditions and a desire to find a better place to live. By such folks this country was settled - by people leaving their homeland to seek liberty and plenty as well as adventure. Emigrants are people who are not satisfied just to "get by," but feel the urge for better things.
This is the picture of the believer. He is an emigrant, born in the world of sin, defeat, death, and want. But he has heard the call from the land of promise to come out of the land lying under the sentence of doom. He is an emigrant from the land of death and darkness into the land of life and light. Henceforth we are strangers and pilgrims here below (Hebrew 11:13; 1 Peter 2:11). We are spiritual emigrants. The farther we go on the journey and the older we become, the more we realize we don't fit down here. Its pleasures sicken us, its music disgusts us. Its empty conversation bores us. But how sweet and refreshing the fellowship of the few other emigrants who are traveling to the same new land of glory with us. But best of all we have His fellowship. David said, "I am a stranger with thee and a sojourner" (Psalm 39:12). He does not say, "a stranger to thee (thank God) but with thee." Can we wish for better company? Now we are "no more strangers and foreigners" to the heavenly kingdom (Ephesians 2:19).
"Bread For Each Day"
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