Hebrews 11:13 (NIV): All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth.
God is constantly working His plan to make this world and its people into His kingdom, and to sweep as much of humanity into it as He can. And anyone who is willing to surrender to Him, to come under His lordship and authority, can work with Him and have a part in making that reality come about. Multiplied millions have helped through the ages, and things are even afoot right now that are imperceptibly moving all humanity toward His desired ends.
It is difficult for people to see that God is actively working, because they only listen with their physical ears, and hear endless reports of death and suffering, disease and disaster, wars and rumors of wars on every side. They only look with their physical eyes and see pain and suffering, sin and injustice all around. And when they see and hear these things on a continual basis, they figure that God has fallen asleep at the switch, or that He has lost His power and might. Such despair causes people to forsake prayer altogether (“What good does it do?” they ask.), or to pray prayers that are lackluster and have no power, because they spring from hopelessness.
But those who have eyes that truly see, can see God’s hand always at work. In many places in the world, numbers are being added daily to those who are being saved. God is working though growing millions of people around the globe to sweep people into the kingdom at a pace that those in the first century Church could only dream of. And He is wanting and willing to make that the reality everywhere His people live. But He can only do that kind of miraculous work through people who have a living and powerful hope in their hearts; who pray prayers, not of despair, but of hope; who are unwilling to sit back and let events take their course, but instead who are passionate about seeing every promise that He has made become a reality. Those are the people He is looking for right now. Those are the people the He can and will use to make the kingdom of this world into HIS kingdom.
Father, open our eyes to see that “those who are with us are more than those who are with them.“ (2 Kings 6:16 NIV) Open our eyes to see the great cloud of witnesses who have gone victoriously before us, paving our way ahead; those who, even though they were still living by faith when they died, and didn’t to get to see all that You would ultimately do through their lives, still trusted in You and were obedient to the very end. Help us, even today, to fix our eyes firmly on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, so that we will not grow weary and lose heart. Help us to step up and get involved in what You are doing right now, so that we can bring the victory You are working to our own country, our own community. Amen.