“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
Hebrews 11 invites us to walk through the hallways of faith and meet men and women who trusted God when His promises seemed impossible. Abraham and Sarah were promised a son, yet Abraham was ninety‑nine and Sarah ninety when Isaac was born. Human logic said it could never happen, but faith said otherwise. They held onto God’s word with a grip that would not loosen. They lived with expectation—believing God even when they didn’t understand how, when, or where His promises would unfold. Their faith was not passive; it was active obedience. Abraham obeyed when he didn’t know where he was going, how God would work, or when the promise would arrive. They saw the promises “afar off,” and their faith brought those distant promises close, like a telescope pulling the horizon into view.
These patriarchs lived as strangers and pilgrims, never settling into the world’s values or comforts. Their hearts were anchored in a heavenly future. They looked forward to the cross, though they never saw Jesus physically. Today, we look back at the same cross they looked forward to. We didn’t see Christ die physically either, yet we must be just as assured, just as embracing, and just as confessing as they were. Their faith reached forward; ours reaches backward—but both rest on the same Savior. This is the writer’s exhortation: to live with the same confidence, the same anticipation, and the same unwavering trust in God’s promises.
We do not know when Jesus will return or when every promise will be fulfilled. But like the patriarchs, we are called to wait with anticipation and stay faithful while we wait. Keep your eyes on the cross. Keep your heart anchored in heaven. Keep your life aligned with the One who promised. Be assured of it, embrace it, and confess it—believing by faith just as they did.
Are you living with anticipation today? Is Jesus still your first love? Are His promises still shaping your choices, your desires, and your direction? Lift your eyes to the cross, steady your heart in His Word, and walk forward in faith—assured, embracing, and confessing the promises of God.
“Faith is believing what God says simply because God has said it.” — J.C. Ryle
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