Date: February 13, 2011 8:19 PM
Topic: +DEV+ Valuing the Promises
Valuing the Promises
"He [Moses] regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures in Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward" (Hebrews 11:26).
Scripture Focus: Hebrews 11:1-40
The 17th Century Scottish pastor, Samuel Rutherford said, "I know not a thing worth the buying but heaven." Heaven was such a reality to him that it was the only thing worth investing in.
Perhaps it is because we don't like to think about hell or that we value heaven less than we should. As believers, heaven is the reward. Jesus spoke of it as entering into the joy of the Master. Jesus himself endured the cross for the joy set before Him.
Often the faith of some believers in God's promises is eroded by short-term thinking. When a dear one is ill, they cling to the promise that the Lord is Healer. They pray, but sometimes death prevails. It seems God's promise has failed. If told that sometimes God's promise of full healing is fulfilled only in heaven, they think that this is a cop-out and wonder whether they can trust His promises. Verse 39 points out that none of the heroes of faith listed received on earth what had been promised. But in heaven they did receive the promise and the reward.
Insight: Jesus so valued heaven that He suffered hell for us on the cross. Does this not give us profound respect for the reward of heaven?
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