Hebrews 11:37-39 KJV “They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: THEY WANDERED about IN SHEEPSKINS AND GOATSKINS; BEING DESTITUTE, AFFLICTED, TORMENTED; [38] (Of whom the world was not worthy:) THEY WANDERED IN DESERTS, AND IN MOUNTAINS, AND IN DENS AND CAVES OF THE EARTH. [39] And THESE ALL, HAVING OBTAINED A GOOD REPORT THROUGH FAITH.”

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Look at how great people of faith were and still are treated; sawn in two, tempted, and slain with the sword. Some are destitute, all are afflicted, tormented, and many WANDERED. That’s right. Some wanderers lived in caves, in dens of the earth or holes in the ground like an animal, in the mountains, and in deserts. Sounds like a rough life? Yes, it is. Yet all these people of faith found a good report with God. WANDERERS; people who travel from place to place with no stable homes found favor with God. (1 Corinthians 4:11) Think about that for a moment. If you think about it too long it might crush your belief in the American dream. You know, get a great job, become successful, make lots of money, buy a nice house, lay back, retire one day, and enjoy life. (Luke 12:16-21) These wanderers had none of those things as they pursued God. They had something so much better: God Himself!😊 THEY ALL NOW HAVE MANSIONS IN HEAVEN!😃 (John 14:2) Shouldn’t this teach us something?🤔

I guess that’s why a beggar like Lazarus went to heaven and the rich man did not. I guess that’s why someone like the great prophet Elijah found favor with God though he lived in caves and was homeless. And the greatest wanderer of them all Jesus Christ who now sits at the right hand of God in eternal glory said, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” (Matthew 8:20) None of this stuff is as important as we make it out to be. In fact, it’s a distraction. There are so many who claim to follow Christ who are going to miss out because they are married to their homes.

We know brothers and sisters lived in houses of course they did. We know this because the church (the fellowship of believers) often met in each other’s houses. (Philemon 1:1-3 1 Corinthians 16:19 Colossians 4:15) But they did not worship their homes like we do. They did not lose their faith because they lost their house. They accepted what Jesus said: 

Matthew 19:29 NIV “And EVERYONE WHO HAS LEFT HOUSES or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.”

Luke 9:23 NIV “Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.”

The early believers in the first century lived under the Roman Empire. Under Roman rule crucifixion on a cross was considered the most painful, shameful way to die. The early believers had a much better idea of what Jesus meant when he said they must, ‘take up their cross daily and follow Him.’ They knew that accepting Jesus meant eternal life but they also knew it meant dying to themselves, their desires, and putting God first. They also knew they could experience severe persecution even physical death for following Jesus. All of this and then some meant taking up one’s cross daily. And they did just that because they were willing to give it all up for Christ just as He gave it all up for us. Are we that way?🤔 We can pray to God and ask Him for help to become more like His Son.😊

We Westernized, Americanized Christians have a problem. Some of us may also become wanderers of the faith one day. But in all honesty, we are too attached to physical things. How we handle this problem is all that matters and is a matter of life or death:

Romans 8:5-8 HCSB “For those who live according to the flesh think about the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, about the things of the Spirit. For the mind-set of the flesh is death, but the mind-set of the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind-set of the flesh is hostile to God because it does not submit itself to God’s law, for it is unable to do so. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”

I recently heard a preacher say, “If you’re serving God you will probably have some riches because God makes you find favor with men.” How sad. He’s twisting the scriptures and ignoring those that say this:

1 Timothy 6:5 HCSB “And constant disagreement among people whose minds are depraved and deprived of the truth, who imagine that godliness is a way to material gain.”

2 Corinthians 8:9 NLT “You know the generous grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty he could make you rich.”

Revelation 2:8-10 KJV “And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive; [9] I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan. [10] Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.”

Matthew 10:22 KJV “And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.”

Luke 6:26 NLT “What sorrow awaits you who are praised by the crowds, for their ancestors also praised false prophets.”

James 1:9 NIV “Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position.”

James 2:5 NLT “Listen to me, dear brothers and sisters. Hasn’t God chosen the poor in this world to be rich in faith? Aren’t they the ones who will inherit the Kingdom he promised to those who love him?”

Jesus Himself left heaven, became poor, and wandered (but not aimlessly) so that we would become eternally rich. Will we have the same attitude as Jesus? Or will we be like the preacher: ignore so many scripture passages because we want worldly wealth? If it ever becomes our turn to wander in this life may we wear it well and spread the aroma of Christ everywhere we go. (2 Corinthians 2:14-17) Then God will be with us no matter what our circumstances.😊

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