A stranger in this world
“These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.” – Hebrews 11:13
The Creator of this world accepted that He was a stranger in this world, unable to fully settle anywhere. Our forefathers also recognised that they were “guests and aliens on earth”. They had the same mission as us: to save and call home those who would accept the offer of salvation. Just as we are, they too were on their way to a heavenly home that God had prepared for them.
We cannot settle in this world, as it is not intended to be our ultimate home. This can be hard to hear, not only for those who do not know God or for those who reject Him, but unfortunately, often for those who do know Jesus as their Saviour. Who really wants to be a stranger and a pilgrim in this world? Who wants to endure hardship, insecurity and inconvenience for the kingdom of God? The steep and narrow path that leads to life is hardly attractive; it is an unpopular one. But if we do not want to stand there emptyhanded in the end, we have to be ready to move on as disciples of Jesus. We must adjust our lives to serve our mission of ‘calling people home’!
This devotional is taken from the book To See God by Marcel Rebiai. If you would like to order your own copy, please email us here, [email protected].
Marcel Rebiai is a board member of Revive Israel, and is inspiration for our community. Marcel was born in Algiers in 1953. He came to Switzerland as a war orphan and received faith in Jesus in his youth, which changed his life and made him a messenger of God’s love in Jesus. Since then, he has been faithfully working for the building of the community of Messiah. Marcel is the founder of the “Community of Reconciliation”, an organization that works for reconciliation between Jews and Arabs based on God’s forgiveness and love in Christ. Marcel teaches in various settings around the world about the love that God revealed to us in Jesus, a love that enables reconciliation. Marcel has been living in Jerusalem for the last 30 years, is married to Regula, and has four children and eleven grandchildren.
