El Month Vietnamese SDA Church

Hebrews 11:16 "But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them."

Hebrews 11 is known as the “faith” chapter as it goes through various examples of individuals whose faith was incredible in spite of what they faced.

I always passed by this verse, and never thought too deeply about it. It was not until I decided to stick my nose into a conversation where someone (we’ll call the person – “Person”) was antagonizing one of my other friends for being a Christian. I struggled with how to speak to Person, without entering into a debate, using cheap shots, or saying anything that sounded on the defensive or antagonizing. However, I was frustrated, because I felt so irritated and my pride rose up in me because I wanted to be on the defensive. I wanted to defend God! I was even tempted to find some “cutting” Bible verse like I’ve seen other debaters do with. [“The fool has said in his heart,'There is no God'" – hah! Take that – fool!]

And then… I happened to come across Hebrews 11:16, “But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.”

Does God really need defending? Since when did God need me to defend Him? Was I looking out for God’s best interest, or was I looking to defend Christianity, because I didn’t want the world to call me a fool for being a Christian?

In this life, our faith is not meant to be understood by the world’s standards. This world isn’t our home, we have a heavenly country waiting for us. To the world, they may say and accuse with “God is failing you! Can’t you see? Your prayers are useless and powerless! Why didn’t God save your uncle from dying? Why doesn’t He stop world poverty?”...etc,etc.

When we come to know God, trust Him, and have faith in Him – while the world only points out their disappointments in God according to its standards – none of those attacks and “insults” will bother us one bit, because it doesn’t bother God. “God is not ashamed to be called their God.”

The world says that believing and following God is a fairytale and a dream, and God only has empty promises. We say, “No, we want to be in that heavenly city.” And God doesn’t back down. He doesn’t worry about whether or not He can meet our expectations. God doesn’t need to prove Himself.

Why? Because He knows what He has in store for us when He comes at that trumpet call will more than satisfy any questions, doubts, needs, or desires we might have or have had.

If anything, we will feel entirely, completely unworthy of receiving it. At the end, it won't be God that need be ashamed for what has taken place in this earthly country. It will be us that will be ashamed, realizing how foolish it was to - for even a moment - actually desire anything else but that heavenly country.