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April 28, 2006 Tramps And Pilgrims
They were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. —Hebrews 11:13 |
During the Great Depression of the early 1930s, many men became tramps. They hopped freight trains to travel from place to place, slept in empty boxcars, and earned a little money by doing seasonal jobs. When they couldn’t find a job, they resorted to begging. My mother was a "soft touch" for any such drifters who came to our door for food. They had lost the comfortable security of a home.
Like the tramp, a pilgrim may be without the comfort and protection of a home, but he knows where he is going. His hopes and aspirations are set upon a goal.
The Christian is to be that kind of pilgrim. In Hebrews we read about the heroes of the faith, who "confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth" (11:13). They were able to live godly lives of faith because they looked forward to "a better, that is, a heavenly country" (v.16).
The Lord is preparing you and me for eternity, and everything we do is full of significance. Though this earth is not our permanent place of habitation, we are not aimless vagabonds. We are to be sojourners who live responsibly as we travel to our prepared destination. We have a heavenly Father who loves us and will welcome us into that home made ready by our Savior.
A few more watches keeping,
A few more foes to down,
As pilgrims brave we journey
To win the victor’s crown! —Bosch
Don’t drive your stakes too deep; we’re moving in the morning!