micro vs macro

Hebrews 11:8-16
By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.

By faith Abraham, even though he was past age—and Sarah herself was barren—was enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful who had made the promise. And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.

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. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

why do i worry about what i have or don't have? God has prepared a city for us! somewhere we will belong, where we won't be "aliens and strangers" anymore (some days I feel more like an alien than others... :) ) the things of this world "grow strangely dim" when you start to think even for a moment about where you'll be for eternity.

we're working through a sermon series on John at church, and last week Jeremy was going over the point that Jesus is the only way to God, that there is no other name by which we can be saved. he said something along the lines of "any road will do if you don't know where you're going".

i'm going to the city God has prepared, i know which road to take. the challenge is to keep that huge goal in sight and not to get distracted by things at my micro level that might cause me to wander. in some ways it seems incredible that anyone could get distracted from that goal, but us humans have the habit of being rather self-obsessed, prone to paranoia and doubt. and as i have to keep remembering, God's plan in all of creation is not to make me happy, and yet by following him and living in the light of his promises, I find he cares for me and provides for me in ways much better than i could have devised for myself.